.  A  YEAR  IN  A  YAWL 


A  7000  MILE    CRUISE 

DOWN  THE    MISSISSIPPI 

AND    UP   THE    ATLANTIC 


A  YEAR   IN  A  YAWL 


BOOKS   BY 

RUSSELL    DOUBLEDAY 


A  GUNNER   ABOARD  THE  YANKEE 
CATTLE  RANCH  TO  COLLEGE 
A  YEAR   IN   A  YAWL 


The  True  Adventure  Series 


A  YEAR  IN  A 
YAWL 

A  TRUE  TALE  OF  THE 

ADVENTURES  OF  FOUR  BOYS 

IN  A  THIRTY- FOOT  YAWL 

BY 

RUSSELL  DOUBLEDAY 

FROM  THE  LOG  OF 

CAPT.  RANSOM 


NEW  YORK 
DOUBLEDAY.  PAGE  S.  CO 

1906 


COPYRIGHT,  1901,  BY 
DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  CO. 

OCTOBER,    IQOI. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I.  THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  SCHEME   ...  1 

II.  THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  BOAT       ...  11 

III.  OUTWARD  BOUND    ......  26 

IV.  AN  ADVENTURE  IN  ST.  Louis        ...  42 
V.  A  PERILOUS  SITUATION 62 

VI.  AN  ARCTIC  ADVENTURE 82 

VII.  SAILING  WITH  FROZEN  RIGGING     .        .        .103 

VIII.  AN  ICY  STORM  OFF  " SUNNY"  BATON  ROUGE  .    121 

IX.  ON  SALT  WATER  AT  LAST     .        .        .        .144 

X.  RIDING  A  MONSTER  TURTLE  .        .        .        .164 

XI.  LOST  ON  CAPTIVE  ISLAND        .        .        .        .186 

XII.  FIGHTING  A  MAN-EATING  SHARK    .        .        .    207 

XIII.  A  THRILLING  FOURTH  OF  JULY  CELEBRATION    227 

XIV.  A  RACE  WITH  A  GALE 245 

XV.  CAPTURED  BY  "LIBERTY"      .        .        .        .262 

XVI.  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  ALBANY        .        .        .280 


M188688 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGK 

XVII.  ALONG  THE  "RAGING  CANAL"      .        .        .298 

XVIII.  IN  THE  GRIP  OF  IRON  AND  STONE  .        .        .    317 

XIX.  A  STORMY  NIGHT  ON  A  SINKING  PILE-DRIVER    334 

XX.  HOMEWARD  BOUND.  354 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  WE  ARE  UNDER  WAY  AT  LAST  "     .        .      Frontispiece 

PACING  PAGE 

" .  .  .  THE  BOAT  WAS  LAUNCHED  "    .        .        .        .22 
"SAW  THE  GREAT  CAKES  OF  ICE  GO  RACING  BY"      .      78 

TAKING  SOUNDINGS. — ".  .  .  FRANK  SHOUTED,  '  THREE 

FATHOMS!'" 112 

FISH  THEY  CAUGHT  IN  THE  GULF  OF  MEXICO    .        .    148 

ON    THE    GULF    COAST. — "GRACEFUL    PALMS    AND 

STURDY  LIVE  OAKS" 173 

"THE  MOON  BROKE  FROM  THE  CLOUDS  AND  SILVERED 

THE  CRESCENT  SEA" 184 

JOHN  GOMEZ'S  CABIN. — "A  .  .  .  COTTAGE  THATCHED 

WITH  PALM  BRANCHES  " 204 

"OLD  CAPE  FLORIDA  LIGHTHOUSE"  ....    229 

"THE  TALL,  STRAIGHT  SHAFT  OF  THE  CAPE  FEAR 

LIGHT" 252 

CHESAPEAKE  BAY 262 

BEAUFORT,  NORTH  CAROLINA.— POPLAR  TREES  BENT 

OVER  BY  THE  WIND 272 

vii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING   PAGE 

A  "  BUGEYE." — "FLEW  BY  LIKE  THE  SHADOW  OF  A 

SWIFTLY  MOVING  CLOUD       .....    272 

ON  THE  "RAGING  CANAL." — "'STEP  LIVELY'  ONCE 

MORE  GOT  GOING" 300 

SWAYING   ON  THE   HALLIARDS. — "THE   SAILS   WERE 

HOISTED  " 326 

"  LOOKING  FOR  PORT  STANLEY  " 330 

"  THE  '  GAZELLE  '  RACED  WITH  THE  FLYING   SPRAY 
INTO  PORT"   .  ,    350 


Vlll 


NOTE. 

Acknowledgments  are  due  to  Mr.  Thos.  A.  Hine,  Mr. 
Clinton  P.  Townsend^  and  Miss  Katherine  R.  Constant 
for  the  use  of  the  photographs  printed  in  this  book. 


A    YEAR    IN    A    YAWL 

CHAPTEE  I 

THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  SCHEME 

In  the  shadow  of  a  big  apple  tree  four  boys 
lay  on  the  grass  studying  a  map  of  the  United 
States.  One  of  the  group  was  talking  vehe 
mently  and  pointing  out  a  route  of  some  sort 
with  a  stubby  carpenter's  pencil;  the  other  three 
were  watching  with  eager  interest. 

"  That  sounds  all  right,"  said  one  of  the  four 
as  he  rose  to  lean  on  his  elbow,  "  but  you  can't 
do  it  with  a  little  boat  like  yours.  I  don't  believe 
you  could  do  it  anyway,  Ken." 

"  Well,  I  couldn't  do  it  in  a  steam  yacht,"  the 
boy  with  the  pencil  returned,  "  for  obvious  rea 
sons.  But  I  can  and  will  make  that  trip." 

"  I  admire  your  pluck,  Ken,"  the  third  boy  ex 
claimed.  "  It  took  considerable  gumption  to 
plan  and  build  a  craft  like  yours  alone;  but  I 
1 


A  TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

don't  believe  you'd  bring  your  boat  through 
whole." 

Again  they  bent  down  to  the  map,  and  the 
three  listened  while  Kenneth  Ransom  went  over 
the  route  again. 

"Yes,  it  looks  all  right  on  the  map,"  Clyde 
Morrow  broke  in ;  "  but  you  don't  realize  that  the 
couple  of  inches  of  Illinois  River  from  Chicago 
to  the  Mississippi,  for  instance,  is  a  couple  of 
hundred  miles." 

"  Of  course  it's  a  big  undertaking,  but  think 
of  the  fun.  You  fellows  like  to  sail  on  the 
Lake,  and  we  'have  been  through  some  pretty 
tough  squalls,  and  had  some  mighty  pleasant 
times,  too.  Sailing  on  the  Lake  is  good  sport,  and 
exciting,  too,  for  a  while,  but  the  cruising  I  pro 
pose  to  do  makes  Lake  sailing  tame.  Think  of 
the  places  we  shall  see,  the  fishing  we  shall  do! 
Think  of  sailing  on  the  warm  Gulf  of  Mexico  in 
January,  cruising  around  the  thousands  of  tropi 
cal  islands,  then  up  the  Atlantic  coast  when  it  is 
most  apt  to  be  calm,  stopping  whenever  there  is 
anything  worth  stopping  for.  Just  think  of  the 
cities  we  can  visit  —  St.  Louis,  Yicksburg, 
Memphis,  ISTew  Orleans,  Mobile,  Jacksonville, 
Hampton  Roads,  Philadelphia,  New  York, 
and—  He  stopped  for  sheer  loss  of  breath. 

"  Why,  it's  the  chance  of  a  lifetime.  I've  set 
2 


THE  LAUNCHING   OF   THE   SCHEME 

my  heart  on  it,  and  I'm  going.  Who'll  go  with 
me?" 

Kenneth  had  talked  eagerly,  so  full  of  his  sub 
ject  that  he  could  hardly  get  the  words  out  fast 
enough.  Now  he  stopped  and  waited  to  see  if 
his  friends  would  take  fire  from  his  enthusiasm. 

For  an  instant  all  three  boys  were  silent.  The 
thought  of  the  adventure  to  be  had  tingled  in 
their  veins. 

"  I'll  go !  "  suddenly  exclaimed  Arthur  Mor 
row,  who  had  hitherto  been  comparatively  calm, 
jumping  to  his  feet  to  shake  Ransom's  hand.  Al 
most  at  the  same  moment,  Clyde,  his  cousin,  and 
Frank  Chauvet  grabbed  Kenneth  and  shouted, 
"  I,  too,"  in  unison. 

"  Good!  "  was  Ransom's  only  comment  as  he 
extricated  himself  from  the  grasp  of  his  impet 
uous  friends.  But  his  face  was  shining,  and  his 
eyes  said  what  his  voice  for  a  minute  could  not 
express. 

Kenneth  had  been  at  work  on  a  boat  for  some 
time  when  the  foregoing  conversation  took  place. 
He  had  planned  her  himself,  plotting  out  her 
lines  with  great  care  and  with  all  the  enthusiasm 
of  a  boy  who  has  the  means  at  last  to  carry  out  a 
long-cherished  idea. 

She  was  to  be  thirty  feet  over  all,  twenty-two 
3 


A   JEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

feet  on  the  water-line,  nine  feet  wide,  and  three 
feet  draught  with  her  centre-board  up.  His  idea 
was  to  make  her  yawl-rigged  and  as  strong  and 
staunch  as  good  material  and  careful  workman 
ship  could  ensure. 

For  a  workshop  he  had  to  be  content  with  a 
woodshed  at  the  back  of  his  father's  house,  a 
good  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  Lake  shore 
of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan. 

Fortunately,  he  was  able  to  get  some  extra 
fine  white  oak,  well  seasoned,  from  a  nearby 
mill ;  and  though  it  was  tough  and  tried  the  tem 
per  of  his  home-made  tools,  this  very  toughness 
and  hardness  stood  the  young  ship-builder  and 
his  crew  in  good  stead  later. 

He  built  a  steaming-box  to  bend  the  ribs  and 
planking  of  his  boat  out  of  rough  lumber,  and 
made  an  old  stove,  with  a  section  of  big  pipe 
plugged  up  at  both  ends,  serve  as  a  boiler  to  make 
the  steam.  Thus  equipped,  he  began  the  work 
unaided  of  building  a  thirty-foot  yacht  in  which 
to  cruise  around  on  Lake  Michigan  and  the 
waters  tributary  to  it.  With  great  labor  and 
care  the  keel  was  steamed,  bent,  and  laid  on  the 
blocks;  then  one  by  one  the  ribs  were  put  in 
place.  It  was  slow  work,  but  it  was  extremely 
interesting  to  this  young  naval  architect  and  ship 
builder,  and  as  his  boat  grew  his  ideas  enlarged. 
4 


THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  SCHEME 

To  be  a  naval  architect  had  been  his  ambition 
ever  since  he  had  left  high  school.  To  become 
a  designer  and  builder  of  ships  was  his  aim  in 
life,  and  as  he  worked  alone  at  his-  little  ship,  he 
wondered  how  he  was  going  to  get  the  experience 
that  would  be  needed  to  design  vessels  for  various 
uses  and  differing  conditions.  About  lake  craft 
he  knew  something,  but  of  ocean  and  river  ves 
sels  he  was  entirely  ignorant.  He  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  must  see  and  study  the  different 
kind  of  craft  in  their  native  waters. 

One  day,  as  he  was  working  on  the  planking 
of  his  boat,  the  inspiration  came  to  him.  He 
had  pulled  the  plank  out  of  the  long  steam-box, 
hot,  damp,  and  more  or  less  pliable,  and  with 
great  labor  made  it  fast  to  the  cut-water  with  a 
hand  vise.  As  he  bent  the  plank  from  rib  to  rib 
he  secured  it  until  it  was  in  place  and  followed 
the  designed  curve.  He  stood  a  minute  facing 
the  bow  to  see  if  the  curve  was  true.  It  really 
began  to  look  like  a  boat  and  less  like  a  skeleton. 

"  This  is  going  to  be  a  pretty  smart  craft," 
he  said  to  himself  as  he  eyed  his  work  lovingly. 
"  She'll  be  strong  and  handy,  roomy  and  sea 
worthy,  and  fit  to  go  most  anywhere." 

"  By  Jove !  "  he  said  aloud,  slapping  his  knee 
by  way  of  emphasis,  and  sitting  down  suddenly. 

"  Why  not?  "  The  idea  was  so  bold  that  he 
5 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

hardly  dared  to  think  of  it.  Sail  to  the  ocean  in 
a  craft  only  thirty  feet  long?  Impossible;  but 
why?  He  could  hardly  wait  to  secure  the  plank 
permanently,  he  was  so  anxious  to  look  at  a  map 
and  see  if  there  was  a  possible  route  to  the  salt 
sea  that  his  vessel  could  follow. 

The  rest  of  that  day  was  spent  in  studying 
maps,  and  for  a  good  part  of  the  night  Kenneth 
and  his  father  discussed  it. 

"  Yes,  it  is  possible,"  Mr.  Ransom  said  at 
length;  "  but  I  doubt  if  it  has  ever  been  done  be 
fore,  and  certainly  never  by  so  small  a  boat." 

"But,  father,"  the  boy  pleaded,  "can  I  go? 
You  know  what  I  want  to  do  and  why  I  want 
to  go.  It  would  mean  a  whole  lot  to  me;  it 
would  be  experience  I  can  get  in  no  other  way." 

"  Yes,  boy,  you  can  go  if  the  mother  can  spare 
you,"  the  elder  reluctantly  consented;  "but 
don't  set  your  heart  on  it  till  I  talk  to  her.  Good 
night."  ' 

"  Well,  if  they  won't  let  me  go,"  the  boy  said, 
as  he  blew  out  the  lamp,  "  I'll  miss  the  chance  of 
my  life;  but  I  think  they  will,"  and  he  went  to 
bed. 

It  was  late  the  next  morning  when  the  boat 
felt  the  touch  of  her  designer's  hand,  for  there 
was  much  talking  to  be  done,  much  to  be  ex 
plained,  and  the  boy  found  it  hard  to  convince 
6 


THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  SCHEME 

his  mother  that  it  was  to  his  advantage;  that  it 
was  almost  necessary,  in  fact,  for  him  to  go  on 
this  hazardous  trip. 

"We  can  go!  "  he  almost  shouted,  partly  to 
his  boat,  partly  to  relieve  his  feelings,  "  and  we'll 
do  it,  too.77  The  boy's  eyes  travelled  over  every 
line  and  curve  of  his  creation  with  a  pride  that 
was  tempered  with  concern,  for  much  depended 
on  the  staunchness  and  sea-worthiness  of  his 
handiwork. 

The  fire  in  his  makeshift  furnace  was  soon 
roaring,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 
ring  of  the  hatchet  and  adze  filled  the  little 
shop  as  the  boy  went  to  work  with  new 
zest.  Luncheon  was  a  vexatious  interruption, 
for  he  begrudged  the  time  spent  in  eating. 
The  yawl  took  shape  plank  by  plank ;  and  as  she 
grew  her  builder  planned  ways  and  means, 
figured  out  places  to  stow  provisions,  water, 
spare  tackle,  rigging,  and  all  the  other  hundred 
and  one  things  that  would  be  required  for  a  long 
voyage.  His  imagination  played  a  large  part, 
too,  and  he  sailed  wonderful  seas,  through  terrific 
storms,  and  along  beautiful  coasts — dreams, 
many  of  which,  improbable  as  they  were,  came 
true,  for  adventures  innumerable  and  utterly  un 
expected  were  to  be  encountered. 

"  By  Jove !  "  he  said  aloud  one  day  after 
7 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

he  had  had  a  particularly  hard  tussle  with  a 
plank  that  had  to  be  both  bent  and  twisted  into 
position.  "  This  is  almost  too  much  for  me 
alone;  and  I  can't  sail  around  to  the  Atlantic  by 
myself.  Whom  shall  I  get  to  go  with  me  ?  " 

He  leaned  up  against  the  workbench  to  think. 
The  yawl,  almost  fully  planked,  now  stood  up 
higher  than  the  builder's  head.  The  newly 
placed  timber  still  steamed  and  gave  out  an 
odor  dear  to  the  wood-worker.  There  was  no 
sound  except  the  hiss  of  steam  in  the  steam-box. 
Suddenly  the  door  of  the  shed  opened  and  three 
heads  appeared. 

"Hello,  Ken,  what  are  you  doing?  Holy 
smoke!  look  at  that;  isn't  she  a  beauty?  "  Frank 
Chauvet  didn't  even  stop  to  take  breath  between 
his  sentences. 

"  Hullo,  you  chaps.  Come  in,"  returned  Ken, 
making  a  place  for  them  on  the  bench.  "  The 
very  fellows  I  want  to  see,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  What  do  you  think  of  my  boat  ?  Look  out, 
Arthur,  you'll  sit  on  that  adze  if  you  don't  be 
careful.  You've  got  to  look  before  you  sit  in  this 
shop." 

The  third  boy  was  meanwhile  walking  around 
the  boat,  inspecting  her  critically,  feeling  the 
wood,  measuring  the  thickness  of  the  timbers, 
and  eying  the  shape  with  an  approving  glance. 


THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  SCHEME 

"  Say,  Ken,  where  are  you  going  to  take  her? 
Arctic  regions?  She's  built  strong  enough  to  go 
around  the  Horn."  Clyde  Morrow  looked  up  at 
his  friend  inquiringly.  "  Ken,  did  you  do  all 
this  yourself?  She's  great,  simply  great!  " 

"  Yep — sure — you  knew  I  was  building  a 
boat.  Why  didn't  you  come  around  before?" 
Then,  before  they  had  time  to  answer,  he  went 
on,  "  Clyde,  you  said  she  was  strong  enough 
to  go  around  the  Horn;  she's  got  to  be  strong 
enough  to  make  a  journey  almost  as  long  and 
quite  as  trying."  He  paused  a  minute  and 
eyed  his  friends  one  after  the  other.  Frank  and 
Arthur  were  sitting  side  by  side  on  the  work 
bench.  Clyde  was  leaning  against  the  boat, 
Ransom  himself  faced  them,  half  leaning,  half 
sitting  on  a  large  block  of  iron  that  served  as  an 
anvil. 

"  What  do  you  think  about  cruising  to  the 
Atlantic  and  back  in  that  boat? "  Kenneth 
pointed  to  the  yawl.  "  Circumnavigating  the 
Eastern  half  of  the  United  States,  in  other 
words." 

"  What !  "  cried  Arthur  and  the  other  two 
boys.  "You're  crazy!  "  Clyde  added. 

"No,  I'm  not;  it  can  be  done  and  I'm  going 
to  try  to  do  it."    Kenneth  spoke  confidently  and 
with  a  smile  at  his  friends'  incredulity. 
9 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

"Wake  up,  old  man,"  said  Frank  with  a 
laugh;  "  that's  a  nice  dream,  but  you're  likely  to 
fall  out  of  bed." 

"  Listen;  I've  studied  this  thing  out  and  it  can 
be  done.  Wait  a  minute,"  he  interrupted  him 
self  to  say  as  Clyde  opened  his  mouth  to  speak. 
"  You  know  what  I  want  to  be  and  what  I  want 
to  do,  and  there  is  no  way  of  seeing  all  kinds  of 
boats  and  experiencing  all  kinds  of  weather  and 
conditions  of  water  and  climate  except  by  seeing 
and  experiencing  them."  He  laughed  at  the 
lame  finish  of  his  sentence.  "  The  best  and  most 
thorough  way  of  doing  it,  it  seems  to  me,  is  to  go 
in  a  small  boat  that  you  have  built  yourself  and 
see  everything  at  first-hand.  What  a  cruise  it 
will  be !  I  wish  I  could  go  to-morrow." 

"What!  do  you  really  mean  to  go?"  said 
Frank.  "  Why,  you're  clean  daft,  Ken." 

"  ~Not  on  your  life,"  answered  Ransom 
sturdily.  "  Look  here." 

He  reached  down  a  well-thumbed  atlas  from  a 
shelf  and  led  the  way  out  of  doors  and  under  the 
apple  tree.  Then  spreading  it  out,  he  began  to 
explain  what  was  in  his  mind. 


10 


CHAPTEK  II 

THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  BOAT 

"  You  shall  be  my  mate,  Arthur,"  said  Ken 
neth,  who  from  that  time  his  friends  were  apt 
to  call  Cap.  "  You  spoke  first,  but  to  show 
that  there  is  no  partiality,  Frank  shall  be  navi 
gator  and  Clyde  chief -quartermaster." 

"  No,  I'd  rather  be  the  crew,"  Frank  pro 
tested;  "that  would  be  more  exclusive  and  less 
responsible." 

"  Til  vote  to  be  cook;  then  I'll  have  you  all  in 
my  power,"  and  Clyde  pointed  exultingiy  at  the 
other  three. 

"  Well,  none  of  you  can  be  anything  for  a 
good  while  yet.  Come  and  look  at  the  boat." 
All  four  started  toward  the  shop.  "  I  tell  you 
what,  you  can  all  be  ship-carpenters,  ship 
wrights,  riggers,  fitters,  caulkers,  and  generally 
hard  hustlers  for  a  couple  of  months  before  we 
graduate  to  our  high  positions,"  and  Ransom  led 
on  to  their  "  Argo." 

After  going  over  the  plans  of  the  boat  to 
gether,  and  talking  of  all  the  pleasures  and  dan- 
11 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

gers  in  prospect,  the  four  separated;  Frank, 
Arthur,  and  Clyde  going  to  tell  their  people 
and  ask  their  permission  to  join  the  expedition, 
an  ordeal  which  they  dreaded  with  all  their 
hearts.  Kenneth  lingered  a  while  to  think  over 
the  happy  outcome  of  his  afternoon's  talk,  and 
to  plan  anew  his  building,  for  from  now  on  he 
had  efficient  assistants.  He  felt  for  the  first  time 
that  his  would  be  a  great  responsibility;  for  if 
anything  happened  to  any  of  his  friends  he  would 
be  to  blame. 

The  thoughtful  mood  soon  wore  off,  however, 
and  when  he  locked  up  the  shop,  and  went  into 
the  house,  he  was  radiant  with  pleasure. 

"Father!  Arthur,  Clyde,  and  Frank  said  that 
they  would  go  with  me."  Kenneth  burst  into 
the  room  with  his  news. 

"  That's  good/'  was  his  father's  reply.  "  If 
the  Morrows  and  Chauvets  will  let  their  sons  go, 
that  is,  of  course " 

"  But  you  will  speak  a  good  word  for  me,  won't 
you,  father? "  Kenneth  smiled  at  him  confi 
dently. 

"  Ye-e-es,  if  you  think  you  must  go."  The 
elder  Ransom  looked  at  his  son  rather  sadly. 

"  Why,  of  course.  I  thought  that  it  was  all 
settled.  Is  anything  the  matter?  What  is  it?  " 
Kenneth  was  excited  and  worried;  the  possibility 
12 


THE  LAUNCHING   OF   THE   BOAT 

of  a  final  refusal  from  his  father  had  never  oc 
curred  to  him. 

"  Wait  a  minute,  son."     Mr.  Kansom  pulled 
his  boy  down  on  the  arm  of  his  big  leather  easy 
chair.     "  The  fact  is,  your  mother  and  I  have 
been  talking  over  this  projected  cruise  of  yours, 
an(j — though  you  may  not  realize  it — it  is  hard 
for  us  to  have  you,  our  youngest  and  last,  go 
away  upon  so  long  and  dangerous  a  trip."     He 
stopped  for  a  moment  and  looked  into  the  boy's 
fast  saddening  face.     "  We  promised  that  you 
should  go,  and  go  you  shall,  if  you  insist,  but  you 
are  pretty  young  to  undertake  such  a  journey, 
and  your  mother  and  I  thought  that  you  might 
give  it  up  for  a  while.     We  knew  that  you  would 
be  disappointed  "—the  father  held  up  his  hand 
to  check  the  words  which  were  just  ready  to 
pour    out    of   the    boy's   mouth— "  and    so   we 
thought  that  we  would  try  to  make  it  up  to  you 
in  some  other  way.     If  you  will  be  willing  to 
give  up  your  project  for  a  while,  at  least,  your 
mother  and  I  have  decided  to  deed  over  this 
house  and  place  to  you,  and  your  assigns,  for 
ever,"  and  he  smiled  at  the  legal  phrase. 

"  Give  me  the  house  and  grounds  if  I  don't 
go?     Father,  what  can  I  say?     I  thank  you  aw 
fully,  but  I  would  like  to  think  it  over  a  bit  be 
fore  I  answer.     It  is  rather  sudden."     The  boy 
13 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

grabbed  his  father's  hand,  and  then  went  upstairs 
to  his  own  room. 

He  was  touched,  and  very  grateful,  but  griev 
ously  disappointed.  He  had  set  his  heart  on  the 
trip,  had  persuaded  his  friends  to  go  with  him, 
and  now  he  must  give  it  all  up.  What  seemed 
hardest  of  all,  was  that  he  would  have  to  tell  his 
companions  that  the  whole  thing  was  off.  The 
photographs  of  boats  that  lined  the  walls  of  the 
room,  and  the  plan  of  his  own  boat,  laid  out  on 
the  table,  seemed  a  mockery  to  him.  "  Well,  I 
won't  take  the  house  any  way,"  he  said  to  him 
self.  "  If  they  want  me  to  stay  as  badly  as  that, 
I  won't  go,  of  course ;  but 

A  minute  or  two  later  he  came  into  the  room 
where  his  father  and  mother  were  sitting  read 
ing. 

"  I'll  stay,"  he  said,  standing  before  them. 
"  I  didn't  know  you  wanted  me  to,  so  much ;  but 
I  can't  take  the  house ;  I  don't  want  to  be  paid  to 
stay — but  you're  terribly  good  to  me." 

It  was  hard  to  give  up  gracefully,  and  he 
dropped  rather  dejectedly  into  a  chair. 

"By  George,  mother!  "  Mr.  Eansom  said  to 
his  wife,  "  that  boy  is  the  right  sort,  and  I  think 
that  we  ought  not  to  spoil  his  chance.  I  vote  we 
let  him  go." 

Kenneth  looked  eagerly  at  his  mother.  She 
14 


THE   LAUNCHING   OF   THE   BOAT 

said  nothing,  but  he  read  plainly  in  her  face  that 
though  she  feared  to  let  him  take  the  voyage, 
she  would  not  refuse  his  wish. 

He  could  not  say  a  word;  but  he  had  to  go 
out,  unlock  the  door  of  his  shop,  and  tell  his  boat 
confidentially  what  bricks  his  father  and  mother 
were.  He  just  had  to  tell  something. 

The  next  morning  the  other  three  boys  came 
with  long  faces  and  disgruntled  tempers.  Their 
parents,  one  and  all,  were  against  the  trip,  and 
declared  that  Kenneth's  father  and  mother  were 
crazy  to  let  him  go  on  such  a  journey. 

Kenneth  said  nothing  of  his  experience  of  the 
night  before,  but  felt  absolutely  sure  now  of  his 
parents'  backing  and  encouragement. 

"  Don't  you  give  up  like  that,  fellows,"  he 
said  cheerfully,  slapping  his  mate-to-be  on 
his  shoulder,  to  stir  him  up.  "  If  you  don't  have 
confidence  yourself,  how  can  you  expect  other 
people  to  believe  in  you  and  the  success  of  the 
trip?" 

"  But—"  began  Frank. 

"  Bear  a  hand  with  this  stick,  will  you  ?  "  Ken 
neth  interrupted. 

"Arthur,  open  that  trap  at  the  end  of  the 
steam-box,  please.  That's  it — in  she  goes!  " 
With  a  will,  Frank  and  Kenneth  pushed  the  long 
plank  into  the  box. 

15 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

"  A  few  more  of  those,  and  the  body  of  the 
boat  will  be  complete.  But  there's  a  lot  more 
to  be  done,  and  we've  got  to  keep  at  it."  Kan- 
som  stopped,  went  to  a  far  corner,  and  poked 
among  some  old  boards;  he  finally  picked  out 
one,  and  showed  it  to  the  boys. 

"  I  move  that  we  make  this  our  motto.  All 
those  in  favor  will  signify  as  much  by  saying 
'aye.'" 

Four  "  aye's  "  rang  out  vigorously. 

"  Contrary   minded   will   signify   by   saying 


<no.' 


"  It  is  moved  and  carried,  that  this  shall  be  our 
motto,  and  we'll  nail  our  colors  to  the — the — 
wood-shed." 

"  Hear!  Hear!  "  laughed  the  three  at  the  end 
of  Ken's  speech;  but  when  he  nailed  up  the 
board  bearing  this  motto  in  clear  letters: 


KEEPING   EVERLASTINGLY   AT   IT 
BRINGS   SUCCESS, 


there  was  a  cheer  that  cleared  the  air  amazingly, 
and  chased  away  the  gloom  that  had  bid  fair  to 
settle  over  the  company. 

"  I  believe  that  my  father  will  be  able  to  con- 
16 


THE  LAUNCHING   OF   THE   BOAT 

vince  your  people  that  our  trip  is  feasible/'  said 
Kenneth  from  his  place  on  top  of  a  ladder. 
"  Anyhow,  let's  get  to  work.  For  '  keeping  ever 
lastingly  at  it  brings  success.' '  Soon  all  the 
noises  the  young  shipbuilders  made  seemed  to 
voice  that  motto. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  the  three  got  permis 
sion  to  go,  but  their  evident  determination,  and 
their  continual  "  keeping  at  it,"  aided  by  Mr. 
Ransom's  support,  finally  brought  success.  All 
this  time  the  four  worked  like  beavers.  The 
planking  was  completed,  the  cabin  laid  out  and 
built,  the  deck  laid,  and  the  cockpit  floored. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  jiggered!  "  Kenneth  exclaimed 
one  day.  "  I  never  thought — how  are  we  going 
to  get  her  down  to  the  water?  " 

Immediately  the  noise  of  hammer  and  saw, 
the  dull  clap  of  wood,  and  the  sharp  ring  of  iron 
ceased,  and  all  four  stood  open-mouthed,  speech 
less. 

"  Why,  it's  a  good  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to 
the  nearest  water,"  gasped  Frank. 

"  And  think  of  that  hill  down  to  the  ravine 
between,"  added  Clyde. 

"  She  must  weigh  three  tons,"  wailed  Arthur. 

"  Oh,  I  guess  Johnson,  the  house  mover,  will 
do  it,"  Kenneth  suggested.  "  Let's  go  and  see 
him."  But  Johnson  wanted  a  prohibitive  price 
2  17 


A  JEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

for  moving  the  boat  to  the  launching  ways,  so  the 
crew  decided  to  tackle  the  job  themselves. 

Then  the  trouble  began.  The  sides  of  the 
shop  had  to  come  down  to  allow  the  yawl  to  be 
moved  out,  and  a  truck  had  to  be  built  that 
would  safely  bear  the  great  weight. 

Despite  all,  however,  the  boat  was  finally 
loaded,  and  under  the  eyes  of  all  the  towns 
people  who  could  get  away  from  their  work,  the 
first  stage  of  their  journey  began. 

All  went  well  for  a  time.  A  sturdy  team  was 
hitched  to  the  wheeled  truck,  and  the  progress 
over  the  first  part  of  the  smooth,  level  road  was 
easy.  Passers-by  were  apt  to  quote  passages 
about  "  sailing  the  raging  meadows,"  and  about 
young  tars  who  preferred  to  do  their  sailing 
ashore.  But  Ransom  and  his  friends  were  good- 
natured  and  too  busy  to  heed  anything  but  the 
overland  trip  of  their  precious  craft. 

When  the  brink  of  the  hill  leading  down  to 
the  ravine  was  reached,  the  team  was  stopped 
and  a  consultation  was  held.  The  slope  was  al 
most  thirty  degrees,  and  a  bridge  at  the  bottom 
had  to  be  passed  slowly,  or  the  great  weight 
might  go  through  the  planking. 

"Make  her  fast  to  that  tree,"  suggested 
Arthur,  "with  a  block  and  fall,  and  pay  out 
gradually  till  she  gets  to  the  bottom;  then  re- 
18 


THE   LAUNCHING   OF   THE   BOAT 

verse  the  operation  and  make  fast  in  front,  hitch 
the  team  to  the  line  and  haul  up." 

"  Great  head,  Art!  We'll  do  it."  And  Ken 
started  back  to  the  shop  for  the  block  and  fall. 

The  road  curved  just  before  descending  to  the 
ravine,  and  a  big  tree  grew  in  the  bend.  A  line 
made  fast  to  it  would  lead  straight  down.  It 
was  most  adavantageously  placed.  A  sling  was 
put  around  the  tree,  and  another  was  run  about 
the  boat  herself  just  below  the  rail.  To  each  of 
these  a  block  was  attached.  The  captain  went 
over  each  rope  carefully  to  see  that  all  was  right, 
tight,  and  strong.  Frank  drove  the  horses, 
which  were  to  back  with  all  their  might;  Clyde 
watched  the  boat  herself;  while  Kenneth  and 
Arthur  tended  the  line,  and  stood  prepared  to 
pay  out  slowly. 

"Let  her  go;  slowly  now,  e-e-e-asy!  "  yelled 
Ransom  to  Frank  with  the  team. 

Kenneth  and  Arthur  took  in  the  slack,  and 
braced  against  the  strain.  The  horses  began  to 
move  slowly  and  the  truck  slid  gradually  over 
the  crest  of  the  hill;  the  line  tightened  and  the 
blocks  clucked  sleepily  under  the  strain. 

"  Go  e-e-e-asy!  "  yelled  Ransom. 

The  truck  was  going  faster;  he  and  Arthur 
could  hardly  hold  it  back. 

"Easy  there;  pull  up,  Frank."  The  horses 
19 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

were  straining  back  with  all  their  might,  but  the 
weight  of  the  boat  was  pushing  them  on  faster 
than  they  wanted  to  go. 

"  Stop,  Frank!     She's  running  away!  " 

But  there  was  no  stopping  her  from  before — 
the  horses  were  fairly  off  their  feet.  The  run 
ning  line  was  beginning  to  burn  Kenneth's  and 
Arthur's  hands.  She  was  running  away,  sure 
enough,  and  to  certain  destruction  if  she  was  not 
stopped  at  once. 

Frank's  face  was  pale  and  anxious  as  he 
shouted  and  strained  back  on  the  reins,  trying 
to  stop  his  team;  Clyde,  utterly  impotent,  ran 
from  side  to  side,  looking  in  vain  for  a  stick  or 
log  with  which  to  check  the  wheels.  Kenneth 
and  Arthur  clung  desperately  to  the  line,  which, 
in  spite  of  all,  they  could  not  control. 

The  speed  of  the  boat  was  certainly  growing 
faster  and  faster  every  second.  The  work  of 
months  and  the  means  of  a  glorious  trip  was 
going  to  destruction. 

"  Here,  Arthur,  quick !  I'll  try  to  hold,  while 
you  take  a  double  turn  round  that  other  tree — 
quick — quick!  "  cried  Kenneth,  his  anxiety  al 
most  taking  away  his  voice  for  the  moment. 

Arthur  turned  to  obey.  "  Quick — for  the 
love  of  Moses,  quick!  " 

Just  in  time,  Arthur  got  the  turns  round  the 
20 


THE   LAUNCHING   OF   THE   BOAT 

tree,  for  Kenneth  could  not  stand  the  strain  on 
his  hands  longer  and  he  dropped  the  rope.  His 
weight  off  the  restraining  line,  the  truck  almost 
pushed  the  horses  over  on  their  heads.  But  the 
slack  was  taken  up  in  a  minute,  and  though  the 
line  creaked  ominously  under  the  strain,  and 
stood  as  taut  as  a  harp  string,  it  held;  the  truck 
slackened  speed. 

"  Kick  me  round  the  block,  will  you,  Arthur, 
for  a  chump,"  Ransom  said  as  he  came  up  to  his 
friend,  bandaging  his  blistered  hands  with  his 
handkerchief  as  he  spoke.  "  To  let  a  weight 
like  that  go  without  taking  a  turn,  was  about  the 
most  foolish  thing  that  I  ever  did.  Let  her  go, 
easy,  now." 

The  other  three  boys  said  nothing  for  a  while, 
but  when  the  bottom  of  the  hill  was  reached  all 
were  rather  limp. 

To  drag  the  boat  out  of  the  valley  was  about 
as  difficult  as  letting  her  down  into  it,  and  it  con 
sumed  the  balance  of  the  daylight.  The  close 
of  the  second  day  saw  the  boat  resting  on  the 
launching  ways,  and  the  boys  were  triumphant. 

"  If  the  rest  of  our  journey  is  as  slow  as  this," 
Arthur  remarked  as  he  put  on  his  coat  to  go 
home,  "  we'll  be  ancient  mariners  before  we 
cover  the  6,000  miles." 

The  following  day  the  boat  was  launched,  and 
21 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

as  she  nodded  her  acknowledgments  to  the 
pretty  girl  who  had  just  named  her  "  Gazelle/' 
it  was  evident  to  all  that  the  title  fitted  her  like 
the  coat  of  white  paint  that  glistened  on  her 
sides. 

The  hearts  of  Captain  Kenneth  and  his  friends 
glowed  within  them  when  they  saw  the  boat  at 
which  they  had  labored  so  steadily  floating  in  her 
natural  element  as  gracefully  and  daintily  as  if 
she  had  been  born  in  it. 

When  their  friends  had  gone,  the  four  sat  in 
the  cosey  cabin  and  congratulated  each  other  by 
looks  and  handclasps  rather  than  words.  They 
felt  that  they  were  fairly  started,  now  that  their 
craft  was  afloat ;  but  it  was  two  good  long  months 
before  she  was  ready  to  take  her  trial  trip;  and 
two  weeks  beyond  that  before  all  was  ready  to 
start  in  earnest.  Rigging  and  final  finishing 
took  much  time,  and  the  placing  of  the  necessary 
stores  seemed  an  endless  job. 

"  Well,  boys,"  Ransom  said,  as  the  other  three 
came  aboard  on  the  morning  of  October  27, 
1898,  "  this  is  the  day  that  we  say  good-by  to  old 
St.  Joe." 

"  Grab  my  bag,  will  you,  Ken?  "  came  by  way 
of  answer  from  Arthur.  "  Look  out !  If  you 
dump  the  buttons  from  my  sewing  kit,  I'll  have 
your  heart's  blood." 

22 


THE   LAUNCHING   OF   THE   BOAT 

"  Don't  you  worry.  I'll  be  careful  enough/' 
was  Ransom's  answer.  "  I'll  have  occasion  to 
borrow  before  long." 

And  so  they  laughed  and  chatted,  and  put  on 
a  brave  front  in  order  to  conceal  the  slight  un 
easiness  that  lingered  persistently  in  the  back 
ground  of  all  their  thoughts. 

It  was  three  o'clock  before  complete  arrange 
ments  were  made,  and  all  hands  were  right  glad 
that  there  was  so  much  to  do.  Home  was  inex 
pressibly  dear  to  those  four  boys,  and  though 
they  looked  forward  to  their  trip  with  real  en 
thusiasm,  when  the  parting  really  came  they 
found  it  a  good  deal  of  a  wrench. 

The  wind  wras  coming  out  of  the  north  in  a 
business-like  way,  and  the  sea  it  banked  up  was 
not  of  the  sort  to  tempt  the  fair-weather  sailor. 

"All  ready,  boys?"  sang  out  Captain  Han 
som  from  his  place  at  the  tiller. 

"  All  ready!  "  was  the  answer. 

*  Arthur,  stand  by  to  tend  the  jib  sheet; 
Frank,  stand  at  the  halliards ;  Clyde,  go  forward, 
yank  up  the  mud-hook  and  cat  it.  I'll  tend  the 
mizzen." 

The  boys  jumped  to  do  his  bidding.  The 
windlass  creaked  and  the  yawl  began  to  eat  up 
the  anchor  cable. 

"  She's  broke !  "  came  the  cry  from  forward  as 
23 


A    TEAR  IN  A    7AWL 

the  anchor  gave  up  its  last  hold  on  Michigan  soil 
for  many  a  long  day. 

"  Haul  up  your  jib,  Clyde.  !N"ow,  Arthur,  in 
with  your  sheet."  Ransom  at  the  same  time 
hauled  in  the  mizzen  a  little,  and  shifted  the 
helm. 

The  boat  gathered  headway  slowly,  then 
gained  in  speed  till  she  was  bounding  over  the 
rollers  bravely. 

"  We  are  under  way  at  last/'  Ransom  half 
sighed;  but  the  sigh  changed  to  a  thrill  of  pure 
delight  as  he  felt  his  boat  slipping  along  under 
him;  felt  her  answer  to  his  touch  on  the  tiller, 
as  an  intelligent  horse  responds  to  the  hand  on 
his  bridle-rein. 

The  graceful  craft  heeled  over  to  the  freshen 
ing  breeze  till  she  showed  a  little  of  the  dark 
green  of  her  underbody.  The  way  she  moved 
along  surprised  and  delighted  the  people  on 
shore  almost  as  much  as  it  did  her  captain  and 
crew. 

Out  from  the  shelter  of  the  river's  headland 
she  flew  to  the  lake  itself,  which  still  heaved  a 
reminder  of  the  terrific  storm  of  a  few  days  ago. 

A  line  of  handkerchiefs  waved  from  the  bluff, 
and  here  and  there  a  vivid  bit  of  color  showed 
a  private  signal  that  told  of  some  special  watcher. 

It  was  these  signals  that  the  boys  looked  for 
24 


THE   LAUNCHING   OF   THE   BOAT 

with  particular  eagerness  and  answered  with 
frantic  zeal.  They  told  of  loving  and  anxious 
hearts — anxious,  but  proud  of  boys  who  had  the 
courage  to  undertake  such  a  journey. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  sped  on  until  she  came  abreast 
of  the  life-saving  station  on  the  end  of  the  long 
pier.  The  station's  cannon  boomed  out  its  hail 
of  God-speed  and  good  luck,  and  the  boys  low 
ered  the  ensign  from  the  peak  three  times  in 
answer.  It  was  the  last  audible  message.  Min 
ute  by  minute,  the  shore  grew  dimmer  and  dim 
mer;  the  handkerchief  signals  faded;  even  the 
brave  bits  of  color  steadfastly  waving  were  lost 
to  view. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  and  her  crew  were  at  last  out 
ward  bound. 


CHAPTER  III 

OUTWARD     BOUND 

It  was  a  quiet  group  of  boys  that  stood  in  the 
cockpit  of  the  "  Gazelle,"  and  watched  the  shores 
of  their  native  town  fade  from  view.  They  had 
persevered  in  their  scheme  in  spite  of  discour 
agement  from  their  elders  and  ridicule  from 
their  companions.  They  had  undertaken  a  seem 
ingly  impossible  thing.  What  would  the  out 
come  be? 

It  was  well  that  the  young  adventurers  could 
not  foresee  what  the  future  had  in  store  for 
them,  for  stouter  hearts  even  than  theirs  might 
have  hesitated  at  the  prospect. 

As  it  was,  none  of  them  had  forgotten  that 
"  Keeping  Everlastingly  at  it  Brings  Success/' 
and  all  four  meant  to  follow  that  motto  to  the 
end. 

"  Clyde !  "  Ransom  suddenly  interrupted  the 
reverie  into  which  they  had  fallen.  "  I  think  I 
once  heard  you  say  that  you  would  like  to  be 
26 


OUTWARD   BOUND 

cook.     Now's  your  chance.     Go  ahead  and  be 
it." 

"My,  what  a  memory  you  have!  "  the  other 
answered,  with  a  wry  face.  "  But  wait  until 
you  try  some  of  my  cooking,  then  the  smile  will 
travel  my  way.  I'm  sorry  for  you."  And  Clyde 
disappeared  down  the  companionway. 

The  storm  which  had  just  passed  left  the  sur 
face  of  the  Lake  very  uneasy,  and  the  little  yacht 
was  tossed  from  the  crest  of  one  huge  wave 
to  another  like  a  chip;  but  she  bore  the  rough 
usage  splendidly,  and  hardly  shipped  water  at  all; 
the  spray  which  her  sharp  spoon  bow  dashed  up 
as  she  flew  into  the  white  caps  was  all  the  wetting 
her  deck  showed. 

"  Say,"  came  a  muffled  voice  from  below,  "  I'll 
mutiny  if  some  one  doesn't  come  down  and  hold 
the  things  on  the  stove.  The  coffee-pot  is  trying 
to  jump  into  the  saucepan's  lap.  Hello!  On 
deck  there!  Come  down  and  sit  on  the — 
The  owner  of  the  voice  showed  a  very  red  and 
wrathful  face  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  Frank 
went  below  at  once,  and  soon  the  sound  of  voices 
mingled  with  that  of  clattering  tins  and  chinking 
pottery.  Then  the  odor  of  steaming  coffee  and 
frying  bacon  came  through  the  half-closed  com 
panionway.  Kenneth  and  his  mate  began  to 
lose  interest  in  the  set  of  the  sails,  the  curve  of 
27 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

the  rail,  and  the  angry  look  of  the  water.  Fre 
quent  glances,  thrown  at  the  opening  from  which 
such  satisfying  arornas  penetrated,  betrayed  the 
direction  in  which  their  thoughts  had  strayed. 

"  All  hands  below  to  supper/'  was  the  wel 
come  cry.  "  Except  the  skipper,  who  will  stay 
on  deck  and  steer,  I  suppose/' 

So  the  cook  got  even. 

The  table,  hinged  to  either  side  of  the  centre 
board  trunk,  bore  a  goodly  store  of  "  shore  grub." 
The  ship's  stove  was  steaming  away  in  the  galley, 
way  forward  almost  under  the  deck.  On  either 
side  of  the  cabin  the  bunks  were  ranged;  good, 
wide  bunks  with  generous  cushions.  They 
served  as  beds  by  night  and  couches  by  day,  the 
bedding  being  rolled  up  under  the  deck  and  con 
cealed  by  curtains.  Under  each  bunk  was  a 
wide  chest  or  locker,  and,  besides,  a  row  of 
drawers  was  built  forward,  so  that  each  mem 
ber  of  the  crew  had  ample  room  wherein  to 
stow  his  belongings.  A  man-of-warsman  would 
be  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  with  so  much 
space. 

The  cabin  was  fourteen  feet  long,  nine  feet 
wide  at  the  widest  part,  and  six  feet  high.  Any 
member  of  the  crew  could  stand  upright  without 
fear  of  his  upper  story. 

The  skipper  saw  all  this  in  his  mind's  eye  as 
28 


OUTWARD   BOUND 

he  fondled  the  tiller  (a  boat's  most  sensitive,  sym 
pathetic  spot)  and  watched  the  sails  puffing  to  the 
breath  of  the  breeze.  He  grew  hungrier  every 
minute,  but  every  minute  the  wind  grew 
stronger  and  the  waves  higher,  so  that  his  in 
terest  in  the  behavior  of  his  boat  returned  and 
increased,  until  he  forgot  about  the  complainings 
of  his  stomach  altogether.  The  "  Gazelle  " 
seemed  to  know  that  her  maker's  eye  was  upon 
her,  for  she  showed  off  in  brave  style.  She  rose 
on  the  waves  as  lightly  as  a  cork,  and  swept  along 
at  a  surprising  rate  of  speed. 

Frank  and  Arthur  soon  came  climbing  up  on 
deck,  and  then  Ransom  had  his  turn  below.  In 
spite  of  Clyde's  protestations,  he  was  no  mean 
cook,  and  if  "  the  proof  of  the  pudding  lies  in  the 
eating,"  the  crew  were  certainly  satisfied  with 
their  first  meal  aboard. 

"  How  are  we  going  to  work  this  thing?  "  said 
Arthur,  as  Ransom's  head  appeared  above  the 
hatch  coaming.  "  "We  certainly  won't  get  in  to 
Chicago  before  morning." 

"  We'll  divide  up  the  night  into  regular 
watches.  Four  on,  four  off.  See?"  explained 
Kenneth. 

"But  who's  who?"  queried  Clyde,  from  the 
foot  of  the  companionway  ladder. 

"  Arthur  and  I  will  be  the  starboard  watch, 
29 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

you  and  Frank  will  be  the  port.     That  satisfac 
tory?  " 

"  Sure/'  the  other  three  responded. 

"  Well,  suppose  the  port  watch  goes  on  duty 
for  the  second  dog  watch — from  six  to  eight — 
while  the  starboard  watch  does  the  dishes?  " 

"  I  never  heard  of  a  starboard  watch  washing 
dishes/'  said  Frank.  "  But  I  think  they  could 
not  be  better  employed." 

Kenneth  and  Arthur  went  below  and  began 
to  "  wrestle  "  pots  and  dishes,  while  Frank  and 
Clyde  sailed  the  boat. 

The  yacht  rolled  a  good  deal,  and  the  amateur 
dishwashers  found  it  difficult  to  keep  the  water  in 
the  dish  pan.  But  if  the  yawl  pitched,  it  was 
not  unduly,  and  she  always  recovered  herself 
easily.  Her  poise  was  well-night  perfect. 

Though  the  off-and-on  plan  was  carried  out, 
there  was  little  sleep  for  either  watch — the  ex 
perience  was  too  new — and  when  Chicago  was 
reached  late  the  next  morning,  all  hands  were 
glad  to  lay  up  for  a  while  and  rest.  They  con 
sidered  that  the  trip  had  now  fairly  begun,  inas 
much  as  people  had  predicted  that  the  "Gazelle  ' 
would  never  cross  even  the  Lake  in  safety.  The 
boys  took  advantage  of  city  prices  and  bought  all 
sorts  of  things  and  stowed  them  aboard  the  yacht. 
There  was  enough  stuff  aboard  to  stock  a  small 
30 


OUTWARD  BOUND 

store  for  a  year,  yet  the  yawl  did  not  seem  to  be 
overburdened. 

"  Hear  ye'r  goin'  through  to  ther  canal?  "  It 
was  the  evening  of  the  second  day  when  a  burly, 
bearded  chap  shouted  this  in  a  fog-horn  voice  to 
Arthur.  "  Want  a  tow  through,  Cap?  " 

"  Here,  Ken,  is  a  fellow  who  wants  to  tow  us 
to  the  canal,"  Arthur  shouted  down  the  open 
hatch  to  Ransom. 

They  did  want  a  tow,  and  the  agreement  was 
soon  made,  so  the  tugboat  man  departed  con 
tent. 

The  following  afternoon  a  little  tubby,  snub- 
nosed,  paintless  tug  steamed  up,  and  the  boys 
recognized  their  tugboat  man  in  the  pilot  house. 

"  Hello,  Cap !  "  was  his  greeting.     "  Ready?  " 

"  Hello,  Captain !  "  Ransom  responded.  "  All 
ready.  Give  us  a  line." 

The  hawser  was  hauled  aboard  and  made  fast 
to  the  capstan  bitts  forward,  and  soon  the  yacht 
was  on  her  way  once  more. 

All  of  the  boys  had  seen  the  Chicago  River 
before,  but  never  had  any  of  them  come  so  close 
to  the  shipping.  There  were  whalebacks  for 
freight,  and  whalebacks  for  passengers,  steam 
boats,  Great  Lake,  grain,  and  passenger  steamers, 
little  tugs  towing  barges  ten  times  their  size; 
sailing  craft  of  all  kinds.  It  was  bewildering, 
31 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

and  how  the  little  tug  ever  found  a  way  through 
the  labyrinth  was  a  marvel.  All  went  well, 
however,  though  the  boys  held  their  breaths 
whenever  there  was  a  particularly  close  shave, 
and  so  were  almost  continually  in  a  state  of  sus 
pended  animation. 

It  seemed  as  if  miles  of  craft  of  various  kinds 
had  been  passed,  when  they  came  up  to  an  enor 
mous  grain  steamer  which  was  fast  aground.  She 
was  surrounded  by  a  mob  of  puffing  tugs,  which 
had  been  working  since  the  day  before  to  get  her 
off.  The  steamer  and  her  escorts  took  up  most 
of  the  stream,  but  a  narrow  lane  remained  open 
at  one  side  just  wide  enough  to  allow  the  tug  and 
the  "  Gazelle  "  to  pass  through.  There  was 
barely  room  between  the  towering  sides  of  the 
great  freighter  and  the  heavily-timbered  side  of 
the  river-bulkhead,  but  there  seemed  to  be  no 
danger  that  the  great  vessel  would  get  off  and 
fill  up  the  narrow  passageway.  The  boys,  there 
fore,  told  their  tug  to  go  on. 

The  tug  entered  the  open  lane  and  puffed 
steadily  ahead,  the  yacht  following  a  hundred 
feet  behind.  The  towboat  passed  on,  and  the 
"  Gazelle  "  came  abreast  of  the  freighter's  stern. 
It  overshadowed  the  small  craft  just  as  a  tall 
office  building  would  dwarf  a  news-stand  beside 
it.  The  four  boys  gazed  at  her  great  iron  sides 


OUTWARD  BOUND 

in  admiration  and  wonder;  they  could  almost 
touch  it. 

"I  wonder  will  they  ever  get  her  off!  "  ex 
claimed  Arthur.  "  She  looks  as  if  she  was  built 
on  to  the  bottom." 

"Say,  Ken,  look!"  It  was  Frank  who 
grabbed  Bansom's  arm  and  pointed  to  the  great 
ship's  counter.  "  Isn't  she  moving  now?  " 

She  certainly  was.  The  freighter's  stern  was 
swinging  round;  slowly  at  first,  but  gaining  in 
speed  every  moment.  The  tug  was  going  ahead, 
and  the  iron  sides  were  closing  down  on  the  little 
yacht  irresistibly.  It  was  a  horrible  trap  which 
the  tug,  by  reason  of  the  long  towline,  had  es 
caped.  The  boys  realized  their  danger,  and 
shouted  to  the  captain  of  the  tug.  He  imme 
diately  rang  for  full  speed  ahead.  It  was  a  grim 
race  to  escape  destruction. 

Faster  the  tug  churned  on,  but  nearer  and 
nearer  came  that  terrible  iron  wall,  until  it 
bumped  against  the  yawl's  white  sides.  Both 
yacht  and  freighter  were  edged  in  to  the  spiles  of 
the  bulkhead  until  there  was  but  three  feet  of 
open  water  between.  Men  on  the  freighter, 
ashore,  and  on  near-by  vessels  saw  the  danger. 
They  shouted  words  of  encouragement  and  warn 
ing;  but  even  as  they  did  it,  they  knew  that  it 
was  of  no  avail.  Nearer  and  nearer  the  fearful 
3  33 


A    YEAR  IN  A    JAWL 

iron  wall  approached,  inexorably.  The  boys 
saw  that  the  boat  was  doomed  to  certain  destruc 
tion,  and  perhaps  death  lay  in  wait  for  them,  but 
they  could  do  nothing. 

They  were  being  drawn  into  the  very  jaws  of 
the  trap,  and  the  crew  looked  at  the  smooth  sides 
of  the  freighter  for  a  foothold  or  a  hanging  rope 
that  they  might  cling  to,  and  then  to  the  slimy 
bulkhead.  Each  had  picked  out  a  place  for  him 
self  to  spring  for  when  the  time  should  come. 
Suddenly  the  movement  of  the  great  ship's  stern 
stopped.  She  quivered  a  moment  and  was  still. 
She  had  grounded  just  in  time,  and  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  slipped  through  with  not  three  feet  to 
spare. 

The  shout  that  went  up  from  the  onlookers 
was  like  the  sudden  escape  of  long  pent-up  steam 
— it  was  a  glad  cry  of  relief,  and  the  boys  echoed 
it  in  spirit,  but  could  do  nothing  but  wave  their 
caps  in  answer. 

It  had  been  a  narrow  escape,  and  the  crew  of 
the  "  Gazelle  "  were  thankful  enough  to  come 
out  of  it  alive.  To  the  shouts  of  the  onlookers, 
however,  they  waved  their  caps  airily,  as  if  it  was 
an  every-day  matter  to  escape  from  the  jaws  of 
death. 

After  this  all  went  well.  The  tug  and  its 
light  tow  made  such  good  time  that  the  entrance 
34 


OUTWARD  BOUND 

lock  to  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  was 
reached  by  nine  o'clock.  All  hands  turned  in 
except  Ransom,  who  was  to  take  the  first  four- 
hour  watch.  But,  from  time  to  time  during  the 
night,  various  members  of  the  crew  waked 
with  a  feeling  that  there  was  a  house  crushing 
them.  Whether  this  was  caused  by  the  experi 
ence  with  the  ship,  or  the  pancakes  which  Clyde 
constructed  for  supper,  this  chronicler  does  not 
pretend  to  state. 

Early  the  following  morning,  the  boys  paid 
their  canal  fees,  and  passed  through  the  lock. 

"  How  long  is  this  canal,  Ken?  "  Frank  asked, 
after  they  had  tied  up  in  the  basin. 

"  Ninety-six  or  seven  miles,  I  think,"  he  an 
swered. 

"  Walking  good?  "  was  Clyde's  question.  "  I 
don't  see  a  crowd  of  tug  men  crying  like  hack- 
men  at  a  depot,  *  Tug,  sir.'  '  Tow,  sir.'  t  Take 
you  through  quick,  sir !  ' 

"  You're  right,"  said  Kenneth,  with  a  smile. 
"It's  pretty  late  for  shipping,  I  hear;  but  per 
haps  that  steam  freighter  that  we  heard  was  com 
ing  through  will  give  us  a  lift.  Let's  wait  a 
while  and  see." 

They  did,  and  the  freighter  good-naturedly 
gave  them  a  tow  all  the  afternoon.  But  good 
things,  like  everything  else,  have  an  ending, 
35 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

and  the  following  morning  found  them  tow- 
less. 

A  good  half  of  this  ninety-six  mile  canal  the 
boys  towed  their  boat  by  hand — they  were  their 
own  mules,  as  Arthur  expressed  it.  Two  towed, 
and  two  stayed  aboard,  steered,  and  tended  ship. 
The  starboard  and  port  watches  took  turns. 

The  hunting  along  the  way  was  good,  and 
many  a  plump  duck  tried  the  carving  abilities  of 
the  cook  and  tickled  the  palate  of  the  passengers. 

Seven  days  of  towing  by  hand,  and  friendly 
helps  from  passing  steamers,  brought  them  to  La 
Salle,  the  end  of  the  canal  and  the  Illinois  River. 

Letters  from  home  reached  them  here,  and 
gladdened  their  hearts  mightily.  It  was  one  of 
the  consolations  of  this  trip  that  every  few  dajrs 
they  received  word  from  home,  and  were  able 
to  send  messages  to  the  anxious  ones  who  were 
left  behind. 

Though  the  boys  were  somewhat  footsore  from 
their  unaccustomed  walking  and  their  amphib 
ious  journeying,  they  were  gaining  weight 
steadily,  and  would  have  made  splendid  "  after  " 
pictures  for  a  tonic  advertisement. 

The  night  on  which  they  reached  La  Salle 

was  cold,  and,  after  getting  their  letters,  the  four 

friends  made  all  ship-shape  on  deck,  and  then 

went  below,    closing  the   hatch   behind   them. 

36 


OUTWARD  BOUND 

After  a  rousing  supper,  to  which,  needless  to  say, 
they  did  full  justice,  the  table  was  cleared,  dishes 
put  away,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  place  was 
turned  into  a  reading  saloon  or  a  lounging  room. 
The  swinging  lamp  shed  a  soft  glow  on  the  warm 
coloring  of  the  cherry  woodwork  and  cushioned 
bunks.  The  light  on  the  table  was  ample,  and 
the  boys  set  out  to  answer  the  pile  of  letters  they 
had  received.  It  wras  a  great  temptation  to  tell 
hair-raising  tales  of  every  little  happening  that 
they  had  met  with,  but  from  the  first  it  was 
agreed  that  the  pleasant  things  alone  should  be 
detailed  at  any  length.  For  a  time,  the  scratch 
ing  of  pens  on  paper  was  the  only  sound, 
other  than  the  comfortable,  subdued  creak 
of  the  throat  of  the  main  boom  on  the  mast, 
which  made  itself  heard  as  a  passing  gust 
struck  the  yawl.  Presently,  however,  one 
of  the  pens  stopped  scratching,  and  its  owner 
added  a  new  element  to  the  soft  sounds — that 
of  heavy  breathing  and  an  unmistakable  snore. 
Soon  all  but  Ransom  were  stretched  out  on  their 
bunks,  fully  clothed  but  sound  asleep.  He  still 
struggled  to  write,  keeping  awake  by  force  of  fist 
in  eye.  He,  too,  was  almost  dozing,  the  gust 
had  passed,  and  the  boom  was  quiet,  the  low  hum 
of  the  lamp  was  the  only  sound  to  be  heard. 
Thump,  thump!  The  thud  of  something 
37 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

heavy  jarred  the  four  out  of  their  doze  with  a 
start.  Then  a  scraping  sound  followed,  and  a 
couple  of  thumps  at  their  very  feet.  It  was 
startling,  and  Ransom  scrambled  to  his  feet  and, 
followed  by  his  three  companions,  who,  half 
asleep  as  they  were,  looked  about  with  dismayed 
faces,  rushed  on  deck,  expecting  to  find  them 
selves  on  shore  and  in  imminent  danger.  But, 
instead,  they  found  a  comfortable  old  log,  with 
some  branches  clinging  to  it,  that  had  floated 
down  stream  and  had  merely  knocked  off  some 
of  the  "  Gazelle's  "  white  paint  in  passing. 

"  That's  one  on  us,"  laughed  Kenneth  in  a 
relieved  manner.  "  Let's  turn  in." 

When  the  boys  got  up  the  next  morning,  they 
found  a  layer  of  snow  on  deck,  and  a  thin  skin 
of  ice  on  the  still  water.  It  was  high  time  to  be 
on  their  way,  so  they  shipped  their  mast  again, 
bent  on  the  sails,  and  set  up  the  rigging  in  a 
hurry,  and  the  following  day  were  well  on  their 
way  down  the  river  towards  the  Mississippi. 

The  Illinois  River  is  broad  and  shallow,  and  in 
order  to  keep  enough  water  in  the  stream  to  float 
the  grain  boats  down  to  the  great  river,  enormous 
dams  are  built  at  intervals.  A  lock  at  each  dam 
allows  the  vessels  to  drop  to  the  lower  level. 
Leading  to  each  lock  is  a  canal  a  hundred  yards 
or  so  long. 

38 


OUTWARD  BOUND 

The  "  Gazelle "  made  good  way  down  the 
river,  but  each  dam  was  approached  with  much 
care.  A  tack  missed,  the  boat  would  in  all  prob 
ability  go  to  her  destruction. 

They  had  but  three  more  dams  to  pass,  and 
were  sailing  along  with  a  beautiful  breeze  across 
stream  to  their  starboard  hand.  Several  hun 
dred  yards  above  the  lock,  Arthur  blew  a  lusty 
blast  on  the  horn  to  notify  the  gatekeeper  of 
their  approach.  Again  he  blew,  and  at  last  they 
saw  the  man  come  out  of  his  house  and  begin  to 
work  the  levers  that  opened  the  enormous  gates. 
The  "  Gazelle  "  swept  on,  straight  as  an  arrow, 
for  the  gate,  every  stitch  drawing,  her  forefoot 
fairly  spurning  the  water,  and  the  small  boat — • 
"  His  Mbs  " — bobbing  gaily  behind. 

The  yacht  was  sailing  faster  than  they  real 
ized,  and  suddenly  the  boys  saw  that  they 
would  reach  the  gate  before  it  was  opened  wide 
enough  to  admit  them.  There  was  but  one 
thing  to  do.  With  a  warning  shout  of  "  hard-a- 
lee,"  Kenneth  bore  down  on  the  tiller,  the  other 
boys  hauled  in  the  sheets,  and  in  a  minute  the 
boat  was  heading  out  and  up  the  stream.  It  was 
quick  work,  but  for  a  time  all  seemed  well.  Then 
the  wind  slackened  and  a  swift  current  caught 
them.  The  boat  began  to  drift  down  stream 
toward  the  dam.  To  the  alarmed  boys  the  cur- 
39 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

rent  seemed  as  swift  as  a  mill  race.  It  was  carry 
ing  them  at  a  terrific  rate  straight  for  the  dam 
and  to  what  seemed  must  be  certain  death.  'Now 
they  could  see  the  ugly  heads  of  the  logs  sticking 
out  of  the  water  at  the  brink  of  the  falls,  and 
jagged  stones  which  turned  the  stream  to  foam 
in  a  hundred  places. 

Still  the  wind  lagged,  and  the  current  in 
creased  in  speed.  The  boys  looked  from  one  to 
the  other.  Each  knew  that  nothing  could  be 
done,  but  instinctively  they  hoped  that  some 
thing  would  intervene  to  save  them.  But  what 
could  save  them  now?  With  pallid  faces  and 
hearts  that  beat  fast,  they  agreed  to  stick  to  each 
other  and  the  ship. 

Still  the  stream  ran  on  and  the  breeze  lagged. 
The  line  of  white  that  defined  the  edge  of  the 
falls  could  now  be  distinctly  seen,  and  the  roar 
of  the  water  drowned  all  other  sounds.  They 
began  to  give  up  hope.  It  seemed  as  if  nothing 
could  help  them — surely  nothing  could. 

Ransom  was  watching  the  bit  of  bunting — the 
fly — at  the  mainmast  head.  He  saw  it  straighten 
out  and  begin  to  snap. 

"  Boys !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  there's  a  chance  yet. 
Look!" 

Even  as  he  spoke,  a  puff  of  wind  struck  them, 
the  sails  rounded  out,  and  the  backward  speed  of 
40 


OUTWARD  BOUND 

the  yacht  slackened.  Inch  by  inch,  she  began 
to  gain  on  the  current.  Her  crew  felt  as  if  they 
were  pushing  her  along ;  their  nerves  and  muscles 
were  tense.  Soon  they  saw  that  they  were  mak 
ing  real  headway.  If  the  wind  held  they  would 
be  safe  yet.  It  was  a  gallant  fight  that  the  spruce 
"  Gazelle  "  made — a  fight  for  her  life  and  the 
lives  of  her  crew,  and  still  the  wind  held  strong 
and  true.  She  gained. 

At  last  it  was  safe  to  come  about.  "  Hard-a- 
lee,"  sang  out  the  steersman  cheerfully,  as  he 
headed  the  boat  up  into  the  wind.  The  "  Ga 
zelle  "  paused  a  moment  in  apparent  indecision, 
her  headsails  flapping,  then  around  she  came  and 
headed  straight  for  the  now  widely  open  gates. 


41 


CHAPTEK  IV 

AN  ADVENTUKE  IN  ST.    LOUIS 

Though  the  adventure  with  the  dam  shook  the 
young  sailors'  nerves  somewhat,  still  it  served  to 
give  them  increased  confidence  in  their  boat. 
Distinctly,  a  craft  that  behaved  so  well  under 
such  trying  circumstances  was  worth  sticking  to, 
they  argued,  and  not  unreasonably. 

When  the  boys  saw  how  little  shipping  there 
was  moving,  they  realized  that  winter  was  com 
ing  apace,  and  that  if  they  were  to  enjoy  the 
balmy  South  without  a  spell  of  Arctic  journeying 
no  time  must  be  lost.  A  skin  of  ice  on  the  water 
was  now  a  common  occurrence,  and  it  took  a  con 
siderable  amount  of  courage  to  crawl  out  from 
under  the  warm  blankets  and  go  on  deck  to  wash 
o'  mornings. 

Therefore,  the  stops  along  the  Illinois  River 
were  cut  as  short  as  possible,  and  only  the  difficul 
ties  of  navigating  a  strange  stream  prevented 
them  from  sailing  at  night.  As  it  was,  not  a  few 
42 


AX  ADVENTURE  IN   ST.   LOUIS 

risks  that  would  otherwise  have  been  carefully 
avoided  were  taken  in  order  to  gain  time. 

At  Beardstown,  Illinois,  they  came  to  two  fine 
bridges  across  the  stream,  but  built  too  low  to 
allow  of  even  the  "  Gazelle's  "  short  spar  passing 
underneath. 

The  yacht  was  sweeping  along  at  a  merry 
pace,  wind  astern,  and  current  aiding.  Frank, 
who  was  doing  look-out  duty  forward,  caught 
sight  of  the  up-stream  bridge  first,  and  blew  a 
long,  unmelodious  note  on  the  ship's  fog  horn. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that  for  nerve?" 
shouted  Frank  to  his  companions  in  the  cockpit 
aft.  "  Here  we  are,  four  chaps  in  a  thirty-foot 
toy  boat,  blowing  a  horn  to  make  a  thousand-ton 
bridge  make  an  opening  for  us." 

"Yes,  we're  little,  I  know,  but  oh,  my!" 
Arthur  answered.  "  Just  give  them  another 
blow.  They  are  fearful  slow.  Guess  they  don't 
know  we're  in  a  hurry." 

The  yacht  sped  on  at  a  splendid  gait,  and  the 
draw  opened  none  too  soon,  for  the  "  Gazelle  " 
slid  through  before  the  great  span  had  stopped 
swinging  round.  She  made  a  gallant  sight,  her 
mainsail  and  jigger  spread  out  wide  wing  and 
wing  and  rounded  out  like  the  cheeks  of  Boreas, 
her  round,  spoon  bow  slipped  over  rather  than 
cut  through  the  water,  and  the  easy  lines  of  her 
43 


A   YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

stern  left  but  little  wake  behind.  "  His  !N~ibs," 
towing  behind,  made  enough  fuss,  however,  to 
supply  several  boats  many  times  its  size.  It  fairly 
strutted  along  in  its  importance. 

The  pedestrians  on  the  footpath  forgot  in  their 
interest  to  be  impatient  at  the  delay  caused  by 
the  opening  of  the  bridge,  and  watched  the  yacht 
flying  along,  more  like  a  live  creature  than  a 
thing  of  mere  wood  and  canvas. 

A  few  hundred  yards  below,  another  bridge 
spanned  the  stream,  and  Frank,  still  forward, 
blewT  another  long,  open  sesame  blast.  In  an 
swer,  the  draw  began  to  move;  so  slowly,  how 
ever,  that  the  crew  were  troubled.  It  seemed  as 
if  it  would  never  open  in  time  to  let  them 
through.  But  the  boys  figured  that  the  draw 
moved  faster  than  they  realized,  and  that  the 
space  wras  wider  than  it  seemed.  They  there 
fore  held  on  their  course,  and  the  "  Gazelle," 
appearing  to  understand  that  she  wras  watched, 
fairly  outdid  herself.  Her  crew  became  exhila 
rated,  and  watched  with  flushed  cheeks  and  shin 
ing  eyes  the  water  as  it  rushed  past.  "  Great 
Scott,  look  at  that!  "  suddenly  Frank  shouted. 
"  Come  about,  for  Heaven's  sake!  "  The  other 
three  looked  where  he  pointed,  and  saw  that  the 
draw  had  stopped  moving  and  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  go  through  the  narrow  opening. 
44 


AN  ADVENTURE   IN   ST.   LOUIS 

The  men  on  the  bridge,  seeing  the  danger — it 
was  growing  each  second  so  terribly  imminent — 
worked  desperately  to  set  the  machinery  which 
turned  the  bridge  going. 

The  boat  was  within  seventy-five  feet  of  the 
low  trusses  that  would  undoubtedly  shatter  its 
spars  to  kindling  wood  and  tear  the  sails  to  rags, 
and  still  the  "  Gazelle  "  flew  along,  joyously 
careless  of  all  save  the  buoyancy  of  the  moment. 
She  was  sailing  down  the  right  side  of  the  river 
in  order  to  follow  the  motion  of  the  draw,  which 
was  from  left  to  right.  The  pier  which  sup 
ported  the  middle  span  was  in  mid-stream — a 
massive  stone  structure  with  a  prow  like  the  ram 
of  a  battleship;  planned,  in  fact,  to  break  up  and 
separate  the  ice. 

"  Come  about,  Ken,  quick,  or  you'll  carry 
away  your  stick,"  Frank  waved  his  arms  and 
pointed  frantically  to  the  bridge. 

Ransom  paused  a  minute  and  measured  the 
distance  between  his  craft  and  the  bridge, 
glanced  at  the  stone  pier  and  hesitated.  He  was 
pale,  but  outwardly  calm.  At  last  he  put  the 
tiller  over  to  port,  and  the  gallant  little  craft 
swung  round  on  her  heel  like  a  dancer — her 
pace  slackened;  but  the  current  and  wind  still 
carried  her  onward  nearer  and  nearer  the  bridge, 
her  momentum  spinning  her  round  until  she  was 
45 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

headed. straight  for  the  beak  of  the  stone  pier, 
jutting  out  wicked  and  green  with  river  slime. 
On  she  went,  her  crew  watching  breathlessly 
to  see  if  she  would  come  round  and  tack  into 
the  wind  in  time.  Yes,  she  would!  No; 
no;  yes  !  Half  a  dozen  times  in  as  many 
seconds  the  chances  changed,  but  still  she  swept 
on. 

Suddenly,  with  a  bump  that  threw  all  four 
boys  prone  on  the  deck,  she  struck  the  pier,  and 
as  they  lay  half  dazed,  she  slid  up  the  inclined 
stone,  greased,  as  it  was,  with  slime,  until  the 
forward  part  of  her  underbody  was  clear  out  of 
water  and  her  stern  deep  in.  "With  a  jar,  the 
motion  ceased,  and  then  she  began  to  slide  back 
ward.  Deeper  and  deeper  went  her  stern,  until 
it  seemed  as  if  she  would  dive  backward.  At 
last,  she  slid  off  altogether,  and  turned  round  into 
the  wind  by  the  impact  with  the  pier,  and  began 
to  pay  off  on  the  other  tack.  Kansom  jumped 
up  and  seized  the  tiller,  amazed  and  delighted 
that  the  boat  still  held  together,  and  that  he  and 
his  companions  were  uninjured.  The  draw  now 
commenced  to  swing  again,  and  Ransom,  watch 
ing  it  over  his  shoulder,  saw  it  open  wider  and 
wider  till  the  channel  was  clear.  Then  he  put 
the  boat  about  again,  and  she  sailed  calmly 
through  the  gap;  Arthur  at  the  main  sheet, 
46 


AN  ADVENTURE   IN   ST.   LOUIS 

Clyde  tending  the  jib,  and  Frank  forward  as 
before. 

A  prolonged  cheer  rose  from  the  men  on  the 
draw,  and  a  faint  shout  came  down  the  wind 
from  the  people  on  the  other  bridge. 

Cheer  on,  if  the  gallant  little  ship  was  not 
racked  to  pieces  and  strained  beyond  repair. 

(l  Arthur,  get  below  and  sound  the  pump," 
said  Ransom,  anxiously.  The  mate  new  down 
the  companionway,  and  the  boys  on  deck  soon 
heard  the  suction  of  the  pump  and  the  swish  of 
the  stream  thrown  in  the  centre-board  trunk.  It 
was  a  time  of  suspense  until  the  sucking  sound 
was  heard  that  betokened  that  she  was  dry.  The 
good  Michigan  white  oak  held  true,  and  beyond 
some  slackened  stays  and  a  broken  turnbuckle, 
the  yacht  was  uninjured. 

"  By  George,  boys!"  exclaimed  Arthur,  as 
he  came  from  below,  "she's  the  stuff!  You 
can't  hurt  her.  She's  as  sound  as  can  be — not 
a  seam  started." 

From  here  on,  the  Illinois  was  plain  sailing. 
Wafted  by  favoring  winds  and  a  swift  current, 
the  "  Gazelle  "  made  fast  time  and  reached  the 
Mississippi  on  Thanksgiving  Day. 

"  Boys,"  said  Ransom,  as  he  came  up  from 
examining  the  charts,  "  if  we  have  luck  to-day, 
we'll  be  sailing  on  the  Mississippi." 
47 


A   YEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

"  A  mighty  good  way  to  celebrate  the  day," 
suggested  the  mate. 

"  I  wonder  what  it  looks  like,"  Clyde  specu 
lated. 

"  Oh !  I  think  it's  very  broad,  and  very  muddy, 
with  low  banks  covered  with  colored  people  sing 
ing  songs  to  a  banjo."  This  was  Arthur's  con 
tribution. 

"  Ko,  I  think  that  we'll  find  the  banks  lined 
with  wood  piles ;  with  here  and  there  a  plantation 
landing ' 

"  And  boats,  great  flat-bottomed  things," 
Frank  interrupted  Clyde  to  say ;  "  with  tall  chim 
neys  instead  of  stacks  belching  rolls  of  black 
smoke." 

"  You  fellows  have  been  reading  Mark  Twain, 
and  think  you  know  it  all,"  Kenneth  remarked 
from  his  place  at  the  tiller.  "  But  where  do  you 
suppose  we  are  now?  Look  around." 

The  boys  had  been  so  busy  making  up  an 
imaginary  river,  that  they  did  not  notice  when 
they  passed  a  low  point  and  entered  into  what 
appeared  to  be  a  wider  part  of  the  stream. 

"  Why,  you  don't  know  the  Mississippi  when 
you  see  it.  Let's  give  three  cheers  for  it,"  cried 
the  captain. 

"  Hip-Hip,  Hurrah !  "  The  cheers  rang  out 
together,  with  a  will. 

48 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  ST.   LOUIS 

"  Now,  three  more  for  the  boat." 

Again  they  rang  out — undignified,  perhaps, 
but  fitting,  in  that  they  voiced  the  thanksgiving 
which  all  four  of  the  crew  felt,  but  could  not 
express  in  words. 

As  the  sun  sank,  turning  the  brown  waters  of 
the  mighty  river  to  crimson  and  gold,  the 
"  Gazelle  "  dropped  her  anchor  in  a  little  cove 
and  rested,  while  her  crew  partook  of  mallard 
duck,  shot  during  the  day — their  Thanksgiving 
dinner. 

"  People  said  we  wouldn't  be  able  to  cross  the 
Lake  safely,  eh?  "  said  Frank,  exultingly;  "  and 
here  we  are  anchored  to  the  bottom  of  the  Mis 
sissippi.  We're  the  people." 

"  Going  to  take  on  a  pilot,  Ken?  "  suggested 
Arthur. 

"  Sure !  "  returned  the  captain.  "  "Who  will 
give  up  his  berth  to  him?  " 

"  Oh,  I  guess  we  can  get  along  without  one," 
Arthur  interposed  hastily.  "  Clyde,  give  me 
some  more  duck." 

"  This  mallard  is  all  right,  Clyde,"  remarked 
Kenneth  rather  thoughtfully.  "  But  I  con 
fess  I'd  swap  it  for  a  home-made  pumpkin 
pie." 

"  Now,  drop  that,  Ken,"  said  Clyde,  "  I  object 
to  your  invidious  comparisons.  It  isn't  a  square 
4  49 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

deal  to  call  to  mind  home  feasts  on  Thanksgiving 
night  anyway." 

After  dinner  they  all  went  on  deck  and  looked 
for  a  long  time  on  the  mighty  river,  about  which 
they  had  heard  and  read  so  much,  but  which 
none  of  them  had  seen  before.  The  river  that 
was  to  carry  them  to  the  salt  water,  which,  in 
spite  of  the  1,300  odd  miles  that  lay  between  it 
and  them,  seemed  nearer  now  that  they  were  on 
the  direct  course.  It  appeared  an  easy  thing 
for  them  to  float  down  that  great  stream,  and  let 
the  resistless  current  carry  them  down  to  the 
Gulf. 

The  four  turned  in  elated;  a  feeling  that  wras 
tempered,  however,  by  the  thought  that  they 
were  far  from  home,  and  were  widening  the 
distance  between  them  and  it  at  a  rapidly  in 
creasing  pace.  Had  they  foreseen  what  was 
before  them  on  this  steadily  flowing,  almost 
quiet  stream,  they  would  have  slept  even  less 
quietly. 

Early  morning  saw  them  busy  washing  down 
decks,  airing  the  bedding,  etc.,  while  a  savory 
odor  rose  on  the  quiet  air.  As  soon  as  this  fra 
grance  spread  itself,  it  might  be  noticed  that  the 
crew  accelerated  their  motions,  the  brooms  and 
brushes  were  plied  with  greater  zeal,  the  sails 
were  raised  to  dry  them  with  greater  vigor,  and, 
50 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  ST.   LOUIS 

in  fact,  all  the  morning  chores  were  hastened 
with  tell-tale  rapidity. 

But  before  any  one  got  any  breakfast — unless 
it  was  a  surreptitious  bite  taken  by  the  cook  him 
self — the  anchor  was  tripped,  the  jib  hauled  up, 
all  the  sail  sheeted  home  and  the  run  to  St.  Louis 
begun. 

Sailing  on  the  Mississippi  seemed  an  easy 
thing.  It  was  broad  and  deep  and  smooth.  In 
deed,  the  boys  were  congratulating  themselves 
on  the  ease  with  which  they  had  conquered  the 
terrible  "  Father  of  Waters,"  Mississippi,  when 
there  was  a  crash  in  the  cabin  and  a  terrible 
bump  from  below.  Frank  jumped  down  the 
companionway  with  a  single  leap,  and  found  the 
centre-board  bobbing  up  and  down  in  its  trunk, 
and  the  ship's  best  china  cup  lying  in  fragments 
on  the  floor.  It  was  resting  on  the  top  of  the 
trunk,  the  centre-board  had  struck  a  sand 
bar,  had  bobbed  up  and  knocked  the  cup  to  flin 
ders. 

Their  overconfidence  was  gone  in  a  minute, 
and  soon  they  were  paying  the  customary  tribute 
to  that  always  uncertain  stream — heaving  the 
lead  and  taking  soundings. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  got  over  the  bar  all  right,  but 
the  lesson  was  not  forgotten. 

The  second  day  after  leaving  the  mouth  of  the 
51 


A   YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

Illinois  Kiver  they  passed  under  the  great  Eads 
Bridge  and  anchored  a  little  below  St.  Louis. 

"Who's  going  ashore  ?"  Clyde  looked 
around  from  one  to  the  other  of  his  companions. 
"  I  think  it  is  our  turn.  The  starboard  watch 
ought  to  have  a  loaf  once  in  a  while,  you  know." 

"'Not  by  a  jugful!  Hasn't  the  port  watch 
been  at  the  helm  all  day?  "  Arthur  was  more 
vehement  than  it  was  necessary  he  should  be. 

"  Well,  we  did  all  the  dirty  work ;  cooked  the 
meals  and  washed  the  dishes."  Frank  was  get 
ting  interested. 

"  Here,  here,  let's  quit  this  squabbling.  We 
all  have  worked  hard,  and  we  all  want  to  go 
ashore,  and  each  has  an  equal  right,  but  some  of 
us  must  stay."  Kansom  realized  that  quarrel 
ling  would  spoil  the  trip  quicker  than  anything 
else. 

The  three  stood  in  an  attitude  that  said  as 
plainly  as  words :  "  What  are  you  going  to  do 
about  it?" 

"  Leave  it  to  these."  Kenneth  showed  four 
ends  of  rope  yarn  sticking  out  of  his  closed  hand. 
"  These  yarns  are  of  different  lengths.  The  two 
that  get  the  shortest  will  have  to  stay  aboard — 
the  lucky  two  who  pull  the  longest  can  go  ashore. 
See?"  ' 

"  It  goes,"  the  three  answered. 


AN  ADVENTURE   IN   ST.   LOUIS 

The  upshot  of  it  was  that  Clyde  and  Frank 
went  ashore,  and  the  other  two  remained  to  keep 
ship  and  do  chores. 

It  was  late  when  "  the  liberty  party  "  returned 
with  pockets  bulging  with  letters  and  papers, 
with  heads  full  of  the  things  they  had  seen,  and 
tongues  aching  to  tell  of  them ;  and  last,  but  not 
least,  with  able-bodied  appetites  and  stomachs 
ready  for  the  meal  which  the  "  left-behinders  " 
had  prepared. 

It  would  be  hard  to  tell  whether  the  tongues 
or  the  knives  and  forks  won  the  race,  but  cer 
tainly  both  did  valiant  service.  By  way  of  com 
pensation,  the  starboarders  washed  the  dishes, 
while  the  port  did  the  heavy  looking  on.  Soon 
things  were  cleared  away,  and  the  hinged  table 
was  lined  with  boys  reading  letters. 

"  Look  at  this,"  said  Kenneth,  after  a  time  of 
quiet,  broken  only  by  the  crackle  of  stiff  paper. 
"  I  had  hoped  that  this  would  show  up  about  this 
time.  We  need  it  in  our  business." 

It  was  a  check  for  $125,  and  was  expected 
to  last  them  many  weeks.  The  money  that  Ken 
neth  had  saved  for  this  trip  had  been  left  in  his 
father's  'hands,  to  be  forwarded  from  time  to 
time  as  needed,  and  almost  every  cent  of  the 
little  hoard  had  its  particular  use. 

"  Well,  don't  be  proud,"  exclaimed  Arthur, 
53 


A    YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

"  you  are  not  the  only  one/'  and  he  flourished  a 
money  order. 

Frank,  too,  produced  one. 

"  We  are  bloated  bondholders/'  the  captain 
said  smiling.  "  But  we  won't  spend  it  on  riot 
ous  living  now,  or  we'll  have  to  eat  and  drink 
Mississippi  River  water  later." 

Arthur  was  under  the  weather  next  day,  so 
Ransom  went  ashore  alone,  taking  the  precious 
check  and  money  orders  with  him.  lie  rather 
despaired  of  finding  any  one  who  would  identify 
him  so  that  he  could  cash  the  check;  but  as  luck 
would  have  it,  he  met  an  acquaintance  on  the 
street  who  made  him  all  right  with  the  bank 
officials  at  once.  John  Brisbane  was  a  pleasant 
fellow  and  knew  the  city  thoroughly.  He  towed 
Ransom  round  the  town  and  showed  him  most 
of  the  sights,  and  even  introduced  him  to  some 
Mississippi  pilots.  They  listened  to  his  tale  of 
what  he  and  the  crew  had  done  and  intended  still 
to  do  with  polite  incredulity  for  a  while,  but 
finally  concluding  that  he  was  telling  them  a 
"  tall  story,"  they  began  to  jeer  openly. 

"  That's  right,"  Ransom  protested  earnestly, 
a  little  vexed  but  still  smiling.  "  We  are  plan 
ning  to  go  around  the  Eastern  United  States, 
and  we'll  do  it,  too." 

After  the  river  men  saw  that  he  was  in  earn- 
54 


AN  ADVENTURE   IN   ST.   LOUIS 

est,  and  that  he  really  intended  to  put  the  trip 
through,  they  began  to  tell  him  things  about  the 
river:  where  to  look  for  this  bar,  how  to  avoid 
that  eddy,  and  where  deep  water  ran  round  the 
other  bend.  Indeed,  they  gave  him  so  much 
information  about  the  Mississippi  between  St. 
Louis  and  New  Orleans  that  he  was  bewildered, 
and  felt  as  if  he  were  waking  up  from  a  dream 
wherein  some  one  was  reading  a  guide-book  of 
the  river,  while  another  called  off  the  soundings 
of  the  charts. 

When  he  finally  bid  good-by  to  the  pilots 
Ransom  felt  thankful  to  get  away  with  his 
reason  intact. 

Then  John  Brisbane  showed  him  the  Post 
Office,  and  after  bidding  him  good-bye  and  good 
luck,  went  off. 

Ransom  found  that  he  had  barely  time  to  cash 
his  money  orders,  and  feared  that  when  he  got 
on  the  end  of  the  long  line  in  the  crowded  wait 
ing-room  the  window  would  be  closed  before  he 
got  to  it. 

One  by  one  the  people  stepped  up  to  the  nar 
row  window  and  held  what  seemed  to  be  long- 
conversations  with  the  official  behind  the  glass. 
First  it  was  a  woman  with  a  baby,  which  had  to 
be  held  by  some  one  else  while  the  mother  signed 
her  name,  the  baby  meanwhile  objecting  vigor- 


A   TEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

ously;  then  a  man  with  a  lot  of  bundles,  which 
he  was  constantly  dropping  and  as  often  picking 
up,  delayed  the  line ;  and  then  one  thing  and  an 
other  until  Ransom,  who  watched  the  hands  of 
the  big  clock  approach  nearer  and  nearer  four 
o'clock,  fingered  his  money  orders  nervously 
and  grew  nearly  frantic  with  apprehension. 

At  last  he  reached  the  window  and  got  his 
money  just  in  time.  He  put  it  in  the  inside 
pocket  of  his  coat  and  buttoned  it  up,  but  pulled 
it  open  again  when  he  went  over  to  the  stamp 
window  to  buy  stamps  for  the  crew  and  for  him 
self.  The  crowd  was  unaccountably  thick,  and  he 
wondered  at  it,  as  a  man  was  pushed  against  him 
so  heavily  that  he  grunted.  The  stamps  once 
bought,  he  rushed  out  to  buy  some  greatly 
needed  supplies  for  the  ship's  larder. 

"  It's  lucky  I  got  that  money,"  he  said  to  him 
self,  as  he  opened  the  door  of  a  grocery  shop. 
"  We  would  have  about  starved  to  death  if  it  had 
not  come." 

"  How  much  is  it?  "  Ken  asked  of  the  grocery 
man  when  the  goods  had  been  selected. 

"  Three  forty-eight,"  was  the  reply. 

Ransom  went  into  his  vest  pocket,  where  he 
usually  carried  a  small  amount  of  money  for 
everyday  purposes,  and  pulled  up  two  quarters, 
a  nickel  and  two  pennies. 
56 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  ST.   LOUIS 

"  Fifty-seven  cents/'  he  laughed,  while  the 
grocery  man  watched  him  narrowly. 

"  Well,  it  is  lucky  that  check  came.  What 
we  should  have  done  without  it,  I  don't  know." 
He  reached  for  his  inside  pocket  as  he  spoke. 
"  But  it  did,  so  it's  all  right.  How  much  did 
you " 

He  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  sentence — 
the  pocket  was  empty!  He  -ran  his  hand  way 
down  in — empty.  He  turned  the  pocket  inside 
out — not  a  thing  in  it.  Then  he  felt  each  pocket 
in  turn  rapidly,  then  carefully — no  money. 
The  grocery  man  began  putting  away  the  things 
which  Kenneth  had  bought.  Ransom  did  not 
notice  him,  but  kept  up  his  frantic  search — no 
result.  He  stopped  to  think.  The  perspiration 
stood  in  drops  on  his  brow,  and  a  leaden  weight 
had  settled  down  on  his  heart  as  he  realized  that 
he  had  'been  robbed  of  over  a  hundred  dollars  of 
his  earnings;  every  cent  of  which  was  needed  to 
carry  him  through.  He  felt  sure  that  his  pocket 
had  been  picked  at  the  Post  Office.  Then  the 
thought  came  to  him  with  crushing  force  that  he 
had  lost  the  money  of  the  other  boys,  and  that 
he  would  have  to  make  it  up  out  of  what  was  left 
of  his  small  hoard  at  home. 

"  Perhaps  I  dropped  it,"  he  thought  to  him 
self,  and  he  rushed  back  to  the  Post  Office  to  see. 
57 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

He  searched  the  big  room  desperately,  and 
was  so  evidently  troubled  that  the  watchman 
asked  him  what  he  was  looking  for. 

"  I  lost  some  money  here ;  have  you  seen  any 
thing  of  it?  I  will  pay  a  reward." 

The  man  looked  at  him  incredulously,  and 
then  laughed  in  his  face. 

"  Found  any  money  ?  I  guess  not !  Why, 
there's  been  a  thousand  people  in  this  room  to 
day.  Found  any  money?  Just  listen  to  that!  " 
He  broke  into  a  laugh  again,  and  turned  his  back 
on  the  distracted  boy. 

Kenneth  wandered  aimlessly  out  into  the  cor 
ridor,  every  nerve  racking  with  agony.  As  he 
walked  along,  he  saw  among  a  lot  of  names,  titles 
of  departments  and  court  rooms,  "IT.  S. Marshal." 

"  I  guess  I'll  ask  him ;  he  ought  to  know  if 
there  are  pickpockets  around  here,  and  he  may 
help  me,"  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word, 
Ransom  made  for  the  room. 

The  assistant  marshal,  a  small,  keen-eyed, 
albeit  kindly  man,  was  just  closing  the  office 
when  the  boy  burst  in. 

"  I  have  lost  some  money,"  Ransom  began 
right  away.  "  Stolen  out  of  my  pocket,  I 
think." 

"  When?  " — the  question  came  out  like  a  pis 
tol  shot. 

58 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN   ST.   LOUIS 

"  This  afternoon,  when  I— 

"  Where? "  the  other  interrupted  in  the  same 
sharp  way.  He  acted  as  if  he  was  specially  in 
terested. 

"  Down-stairs,  in  the  money  order  and  stamp 
room."  Ransom  was  getting  even  more  ex 
cited — the  other's  manner  was  catching. 

"  Describe  it." 

Ransom  paused  to  think  a  minute,  and  then 
began  slowly  as  the  denominations  of  the  bills 
came  to  him. 

"  One  twenty,  eight  tens,  four  fives,  two  twos 
and  a  dollar  bill — then,"  and  he  paused  again, 
"  there  was  besides  two  fives  and  five  twos  and 
three  fives." 

As  he  spoke,  the  marshal  began  fingering  the 
combination  of  the  safe,  his  back  to  Kenneth; 
but  the  boy  was  so  engrossed  that  he  did  not 
notice  what  he  was  doing. 

"  Well,  you've  got  a  good  memory,  youngster, 
here's  the  money."  As  he  spoke,  the  marshal 
turned  and  handed  out  a  bunch  of  bills  and  some 
letters. 

"  What !  "  the  boy  exclaimed  amazed,  his 
cheeks  flushing,  and  his  breath  coming  in  quick 
gasps  as  he  dropped  into  a  chair.  "  Oh!  " 

"Your  name  is  Kenneth,  you  said?"  The 
official  was  smiling.  "  Well,  I  am  going  to 
59 


A    YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

name  my  youngest  Kenneth,  so  that  he  will  al 
ways  come  out  on  top — congratulate  you." 

He  put  out  his  hand,  and  Kenneth,  half  dazed 
with  his  unexpected  good  fortune,  grasped  it  with 
both  his.  In  his  gratitude  he  felt  the  useless- 
ness  of  words;  and  though  he  tried  on  all  the  dif 
ferent  ones  he  could  think  of  that  would  apply 
to  the  situation,  not  one  of  them  seemed  ade 
quate. 

"  How  did  it  happen?  "  his  curiosity  made  him 
ask  at  last. 

"  Oh,  I  saw  a  fellow  in  a  dark  corner  looking 
over  something,"  the  marshal  explained,  "  and 

I  did  not  just  like  his  looks;  he  must  have  been 
a  green  hand  to  be  looking  at  his  graft  in  the 
open  like  that;  so  I  went  up  to  him  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  found  something.     The  fellow 
looked  up,  saw  my  uniform,  and  got  a  case  of 
cold   feet   right   away.      '  Yes/    he   said,    half 
scared,  '  I  found  this  by  the  money  order  win 
dow.'     All  the  same,  he  still  held  onto  the  wad — 
he  hated  to  give  it  up — so  I  remarked,  quiet  like, 

I 1  guess  you  found  it  in  somebody's  pocket.' 
Well,  I  got  the  roll  quick  enough  then,  and  put 
it  in  the  safe;  but  I  never  expected  the  owner 
would  run  it  to  earth  as  quickly  as  you  did." 

Kenneth  thanked  him  again,  and  gave  him  a 
bill  from  the  roll  which  he  was  holding. 
60 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  ST.   LOUIS 

The  marshal  had  to  finally  cut  off  his  torrent 
of  thanks  with  a  short,  "  Young  man,  this  office 
closed  an  hour  ago." 

Ransom  from  the  door  shouted  an  invitation 
to  visit  the  yacht,  and  then  went  back  to  the  gro 
cery  man  and  made  him  do  up  the  things  he  had 
ordered  before  with  elaborate  care;  he  paid  his 
three  dollars  and  forty-eight  cents  and  went  off, 
the  most  thankful  boy  in  town. 


61 


CHAPTEE  V 

A  PEEILOUS  SITUATION 

Though  Kenneth  was  elated  enough  when  he 
left  the  centre  of  the  city  and  started  for  the 
river  front,  his  heart  sank  within  him  when  he 
caught  sight  of  the  water.  The  swift  current 
was  carrying  great  pieces  of  ice,  which  gleamed 
white  against  the  dark  stream.  The  ice  cakes 
were  close  together,  and  as  the  boy  thought  of 
the  scant  three-eighths  of  an  inch  thickness  of 
'•  His  Mbs's  "  sides,  he  despaired  of  reaching  the 
yacht  anchored  on  the  other  shore. 

"But  what  shall  I  do?"  he  asked  himself. 
a  The  boys  haven't  any  boat,  and  I've  got  the  eat 
ables." 

It  seemed  hard  that  he  should  fall  from  one 
nerve-racking  experience  into  another,  with 
scarcely  a  breathing  space  between  times. 

For  the  next  five  minutes  or  so  he  studied  the 
surface  of  the  water,  hoping  that  a  time  would 
come  when  the  ice  ran  less  thick;  but  he  realized 
that  each  minute  of  waiting  was  precious  day- 


A  PERILOUS   SITUATION 

light  lost.  Running  down  the  sloping  bank  of 
the  levee,  he  tumbled  his  bundles  into  the  frail 
little  boat,  unmoored  her,  and  pushed  out  be 
tween  two  monster  river  steamboats. 

For  a  minute  he  paused  to  pull  himself  to 
gether,  saw  that  all  was  snug  on  board,  settled 
his  cap  more  firmly  on  his  head,  and  prepared 
for  the  struggle  to  come. 

Then  out  from  the  shelter  of  the  huge  boats 
he  shot — nerves  tense,  eyes  alert;  "His  Kibs  " 
was  on  its  best  behavior,  and  obeyed  its  master's 
slightest  touch,  as  if  it  understood  the  desperate 
situation.  The  rowboat  was  short,  and  so  could 
spin  around  like  a  top  on  occasion. 

The  river  seemed  bent  on  destroying  the  boy 
and  his  little  craft.  It  hurled  great  chunks  of 
sharp-edged  ice  at  him  in  quick  succession,  but 
he  always  succeeded  in  dodging  them  somehow. 
Twisting  this  way  and  that,  now  up  stream,  now 
down,  he  made  his  way  painfully  over  toward 
the  "  Gazelle,"  lying  so  peacefully  at  anchor  in 
the  little  cove  near  the  other  shore.  A  warning 
shout  told  the  three  boys  that  the  captain  they 
were  so  anxious  about  was  returning,  and  they 
rushed  on  deck  to  greet  him.  It  was  well  they 
did  so,  for  he  had  hardly  strength  enough  to 
throw  them  "  His  Nibs's  "  painter  and  climb 
aboard. 

63 


A   YEAR  IN  A    JAWL 

"  Boys/'  said  Ransom,  after  he  had  told  of  his 
adventures,  "  St.  Louis  is  a  nice  city,  but  let's  get 
out.  It's  hoodooed  for  me." 

In  spite  of  Ransom's  determination  to  leave 
St.  Louis  at  once,  however,  it  was  several  days 
before  the  ice  permitted  them  to  move  from  their1 
anchorage.  Many  friends  had  been  made  in  the 
meantime,  and  nothing  unpleasant  occurred,  so 
that  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  regret  rather  than 
of  joy  that  the  voyagers  finally  pulled  up  the 
mud  hook  and  began  in  earnest  the  sail  down  the 
Mississippi. 

The  newspapers  had  found  out  that  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  and  her  crew  were  in  port,  and  many  of 
the  inhabitants  knew  about  and  were  interested 
in  the  little  craft  and  her  youthful  sailors. 

The  channel  followed  the  city  side  of  the 
river,  and  as  the  "  Gazelle  "  got  under  way  the 
steamboats  lining  the  levee,  bow  in,  stern  out, 
gave  her  a  rousing  salute  on  whistles  of  varying 
tones.  People  on  deck  waved  their  hands  and 
shouted  "  Good  luck!  "  and  "  God  speed!  " 

The  ice  was  still  very  much  in  evidence,  and 
kept  the  steersman  busy  on  the  lookout;  but  Ken 
neth  managed  in  spite  of  that  to  enjoy  the  atten 
tion  which  they  received. 

"  St.  Louis  is  not  so  bad  a  place,  after  all,"  he 
declared  with  a  change  of  heart. 
64 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

The  ice  gave  the  youngsters  a  great  deal  of 
trouble.  It  was  necessary  to  keep  on  the  watch 
continually,  and  to  luff  or  tack  every  little  while 
to  avoid  slamming  into  a  jagged-edged  piece. 
The  channel  was  very  crooked,  and  crossed  con 
tinually  from  one  side  of  the  stream  to  the  other. 
The  "  Father  of  Waters  "  had  a  decided  mind 
of  his  own,  and  no  matter  how  carefully  and 
laboriously  a  straight  channel  was  dredged, 
he  was  quite  likely  to  abandon  it  and  make  a 
new  one. 

The  boys  found  the  course  a  continual  puzzle, 
and  fairly  gasped  when  they  thought  of  the 
1,200  miles  of  it  still  before  them.  But  though 
the  experience  was  trying,  it  was  valuable,  and 
especially  so  to  Ransom,  who  learned  just  what 
a  boat  can  do  under  numerous  and  ever  varying 
circumstances.  It  was  the  most  intimate  sort  of 
experience ;  their  very  existence  depending  upon 
surmounting  each  difficulty  in  turn. 

The  first  afternoon's  run  was  thirty-eight 
miles,  which,  considering  the  many  delays  on  ac 
count  of  ice,  the  "  crossings  "  and  their  unfamili- 
arity  with  the  river's  peculiarities,  the  boys 
thought  very  good.  It  was  a  rather  trying  sail, 
however,  and  all  hands  were  glad  when  a  snug 
little  bend  opened  up — deep  enough  to  give  shel 
ter  to  the  yacht. 

5  65 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

All  four  of  the  boys  were  by  this  time  well- 
seasoned  sailors.  They  had  had  some  hard 
knocks,  had  been  through  many  close  shaves, 
knew  what  it  was  to  be  cold,  hungry,  and  tired; 
but  as  time  went  on  they  had  become  closer  and 
closer  friends.  They  learned  to  put  up  with 
each  other's  little  peculiarities,  and  shook  down 
into  a  harmonious  ship's  company — a  cheerful 
atmosphere  prevailed  that  promised  final  success, 
and  was  not  only  an  inspiration  to  themselves 
but  to  all  who  saw  it.  Their  solid  friendship  was 
to  be  sorely  tested.  Just  how  solid  it  was,  was 
shortly  to  be  proved  in  a  most  unexpected  man 
ner. 

Each  had  his  special  duties  to  perform,  and 
as  the  voyage  grew  in  length  each  became  more 
and  more  proficient.  This  was  especially  true 
of  the  cook,  Clyde.  Not  that  he  was  a  poor  one 
at  the  start,  for  he  had  shipped  with  the  recom 
mendation  that  in  ten  minutes  he  could  cook  a 
meal  that  the  four  could  not  eat  in  ten  days. 
This  was  a  little  far-fetched,  however,  for  the 
"  rules  and  regulations  "  very  plainly  stated  that 
any  one  who  could  not  satisfy  his  appetite  in  five 
hours  would  be  obliged  to  wait  until  the  next 
meal.  Nevertheless,  the  cook  was  very  modest, 
and  explained  his  improvement  by  saying  that  it 
was  due  to  his  becoming  familiar  with  his  quar- 
66 


A  PERILOUS   SITUATION 

tors.  In  proof  of  which,  he  showed  some  pan 
cakes  which  were  not  only  round  but  also  flat. 
In  the  beginning,  owing  to  the  listing  of  the  ves 
sel  under  the  pressure  of  the  wind  on  her  sails, 
the  batter  would  run  to  one  side  of  the  pan,  and 
the  pancakes  were  often  quite  able  to  stand  alone 
on  end. 

None  of  the  boys  could  handle  a  needle  very 
deftly  at  first,  but  they  soon  became  very  good 
seamsters.  They  even  progressed  so  far  in  the 
art  that  they  began  to  openly  boast  of  their  skill. 
Frank  returned  one  night  from  a  hunting  trip 
ashore  with  a  number  of  ducks  and  a  shy  look 
about  him  which  his  companions  were  at  a  loss 
to  account  for,  until  they  discovered  an  unbecom 
ingly  big  tear  in  his  trousers.  After  supper  he 
tackled  the  gap  with  a  big  needle  and  a  couple  of 
yards  of  linen  thread.  He  wanted  to  have  it 
good  and  strong,  he  explained. 

Frank  did  not  bother  to  take  his  trousers  off, 
but  began  to  sew  the  rent  baseball-seam  fashion, 
and  though  the  result  was  not  elegant  as  regards 
mere  looks,  he  certainly  accomplished  his  object, 
and  he  was  justly  proud  of  his  achievement. 

"  Any  of  you  fellows  want  any  sewing  done?  " 
he  remarked  airily,  as  he  sawed  off  the  end  of 
the  thread.     "  I  am  going  to  paint  on  the  main 
sail,  in  beautiful,  gilt  script  letters,  '  Monsieur 
67 


A    YEAR  IN   A    YAWL 

Chauvet,  Modes/  and  rig  you  fellows  up  in  natty 
sailor  uniforms  to  ferry  my  customers  over  to 
me." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know/'  Arthur  remarked  (he 
had  been  busy  writing  while  Frank  was  em 
broidering);  "I  can  sew  (lo)  a  little,  myself; 
listen." 

He  dodged  a  pillow,  a  spool,  a  ball  of  tarred 
twine  and  a  book,  and  then  began  the  following : 

Gazelle,  Gazelle, 

She'll  run  pell  mell, 

With  every  stitch  a-drawing, 

O'er  waters  smooth 

And  waters  rough, 

The  seas  her  forefoot  spurning. 


Gazelle,  Gazelle, 

She's  quite  a  swell  ; 

But  yet  there's  no  denying, 

If  needs  she  must 

Do  it  or  bust, 

She'll  be  at  anchor  lying. 

Gazelle,  Gazelle, 

You  must  do  well, 

On  you  depends  our  winning  ; 

For  'tis  our  boast, 

From  lake  to  coast, 

You'll  bring  us  through  a-spinning. 

68 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

"  For  the  sake  of  the  song  we'll  forgive  the 
pun,  if  you  never  let  it  occur  again/7  said  Ran 
som  judicially. 

It  was  late  when  they  turned  in  that  night, 
and  Ransom  was  just  on  the  verge  of  dozing  off 
when  he  heard  a  great  rustling  in  Frank's  bunk 
across  the  cabin.  Clyde  and  Arthur  were 
asleep,  so  Ransom  whispered,  "  What's  the  mat 
ter,  old  man?'7 

"  Oh,  Ken,  I'm  in  trouble."  There  was  a 
kind  of  gurgle  in  his  voice  that  stilled  the 
captain's  anxiety.  "  If  ever  I  get  toplof  t- 
ical,  you  just  pipe  up  a  song  about  a  fellow 
that  sewed  his  outer  clothes  to  his  under 
clothes."  Then  followed  a  savage,  ripping 
sound,  which  bespoke  a  tragedy,  and  all  was 
still  again. 

In  spite  of  their  best  efforts,  it  seemed  as  if  the 
elements  were  against  the  young  voyagers.  One 
day  a  heavy  mist  fell,  and  made  the  following  of 
the  channel  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  game 
of  blindman's  buff,  with  the  fun  excluded,  and 
a  few  sand  bars,  rocks  and  snags  thrown  in  to 
make  it  interesting.  Another  day  the  snow  fell 
so  heavily  that  they  had  to  tie  up,  the  channel 
marks  being  obscured.  Here  they  went  ashore 
and  visited  the  town  of  Herculaneum,  a  mining 
village,  where  Arthur  and  Kenneth  took  in  the 
69 


A   TEAR   /A7   A    JAWL 

lead-smelting  furnaces,  while  Frank  and  Clyde 
stayed  aboard. 

Just  before  dark  some  river  steamers  passed 
and  showed  them  the  channel,  and  the  boys 
gladly  took  advantage  of  their  lead.  The  gov 
ernment  dredges  afforded  Kenneth  and  his 
friends  an  opportunity  to  get  acquainted  with  a 
new  kind  of  craft,  which  the  young  ship  designer 
was  especially  glad  of.  The  government's 
dredging  and  snag-pulling  boats  are  among  the 
largest  and  most  expensive  in  the  world.  It 
takes  an  endless  amount  of  money  and  effort  to 
harness  the  Mississippi,  and  the  government  is 
making  a  great  fight  to  keep  the  river  free  of 
obstructions. 

At  Wittenberg,  Missouri,  where  the  boys  tied 
up  for  a  night,  they  got  some  much  appreciated 
information  from  the  usually  taciturn  river  men 
about  the  Grand  Tower  Whirlpool.  It  was  a 
spot  which  they  had  heard  of  way  back  in  the 
Illinois  River  towns,  as  one  of  the  most  danger 
ous  places  on  the  old  Mississippi. 

It  is  the  graveyard  of  many  a  fine  river  packet, 
and  it  can  hardly  be  wondered  at  that  our  cruisers 
dreaded  it  greatly.  A  sharp  bend  in  the  river 
makes  an  eddy  that  has  terrible  suction  power. 
To  the  left  the  water  shoals  rapidly,  the  bottom 
is  covered  with  rocks,  and  is  the  resting  place  of 
70 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

snags,  logs  and  all  the  debris  that  menace  naviga 
tion.  Between  this  "  Scylla  and  Charybdis  "  is 
the  narrow  channel.  It  is  a  spot  to  make  even 
the  experienced  steamboat  man  think  of  his  acci 
dent  insurance  policy,  and  it  seemed  almost 
madness  for  the  young  sailors,  aided  by  the 
wind  alone,  to  attempt  to  run  the  dangerous 
place. 

The  next  morning  dawned  bright  and  clear. 
Half  a  gale  was  blowing  straight  down  stream 
—that  is,  straight  down  stream  when  the  river 
happened  to  flow  north  and  south.  Little  white- 
caps  were  puffed  up  from  the  brown  flood,  and 
streaks  of  ripples  showed  where  the  wind  got  a 
favorable  slant.  It  looked  squally,  and  it  re 
quired  all  the  resolution  that  the  boys  possessed 
to  make  the  trial,  the  outcome  of  which  would 
mean  success  or  destruction.  But  they  knew 
that  indecision  went  hand  in  hand  with  failure, 
and  they  took  their  courage  in  both  hands  man 
fully  and  prepared  for  the  ordeal. 

"  You  can  keep  her  going  with  a  wind  like  this 
back  of  you/'  a  new-found  friend  shouted  as  he 
cast  off  the  line.  "  You'll  have  plenty  of  steer 
age  way.  Follow  the  marks,  and  you're  O.  K." 
The  last  words  grew  fainter  and  fainter  as  the 
<c  Gazelle  "  fled  away  before  the  wind  like  a  bird. 
Her  motion  was  so  swift,  so  sure,  that  the  sailors 
71 


A   YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

she  bore  took  heart  and  watched  eagerly  for  the 
marks  that  would  tell  of  their  approach  to  the 
dread  spot. 

"  There's  the  beacon,"  shouted  Frank,  who 
was  on  lookout  duty  forward. 

Kenneth  shifted  the  helm  a  little  and  bore 
nearer  to  shore. 

"  There's  the  other  one,"  yelled  Frank,  "  off 
our  port  bow." 

Again  the  tiller  was  moved,  this  time  a  trifle 
to  starboard. 

The  wind  was  blowing  dead  aft,  almost  a 
gale,  and  the  "  Gazelle  "  fled  before  it  like  a 
frightened  thing.  The  speed  of  the  current, 
too,  increased.  They  were  going  like  a  race 
horse.  Floating  cakes  of  ice  were  left  behind 
in  a  trice;  the  trees  on  shore  flashed  past  like 
spectres.  It  was  a  terrible  pace.  They  passed 
a  point,  and  there  in  the  curve  of  the  bend  the 
whirlpool  seethed — a  veritable  cauldron  of  tum 
bling,  foaming,  riotous  water.  To  the  left  the 
water  was  broken  and  frothy.  The  tough  roots 
of  uprooted  trees  reached  out  of  the  worried 
stream,  and  black  rocks  protruded  like  ugly 
teeth. 

Between  the  two  places  of  destruction  ran  a 
smooth,  swift,  straight  channel,  and  for  this  the 

"  Gazelle  "  headed  like  a  well-aimed  arrow.     In 

72 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

an  instant  she  was  speeding  through.  To  the 
right  the  whirlpool  twisted  and  tossed-— on  the 
other  side  gaped  the  rock-toothed  shoal. 
Straight  on  flew  the  boat,  swifter  and  swifter, 
her  crew  quiet  and  steady,  ready  for  whatever 
might  come. 

In  a  moment  it  was  over,  and  the  yacht  was 
sailing  smoothly  on  the  comparatively  still  waters 
beyond. 

"  Good  work,  old  girl !  "  Kenneth  exclaimed 
half  aloud.  With  each  trial  the  boys  had  gained 
confidence  in  the  boat  until  they  had  come  to 
have  an  affection  for  her  that  made  them  wish 
there  was  some  personal  way  of  showing  her 
their  trust  and  regard. 

The  channel  beyond  Grand  Tower  was 
straight,  deep  and  broad.  The  "  Gazelle " 
bounded  along,  the  breeze  astern,  at  such  a  swift 
pace  that  she  covered  the  twelve  good  miles  to 
Devil's  Island  in  one  hour. 

The  crew  were  in  high  glee  now,  and  enjoyed 
every  minute  to  the  full;  but,  after  all,  they 
merely  served  to  prove  the  truth  of  the  proverb : 
"  Pride  goeth  before  a  fall." 

The  water  shoaled  rapidly,  and  all  at  once, 

without  warning  of  any  kind,  the  yacht  stopped 

as  if  some  giant's  hand  had  grasped  her  keel  and 

suddenly  stayed  her  flight.     Why  it  did   not 

73 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

shake  the  masts  off  from  her,  the  crew  could 
never  understand. 

"  Pull  up  the  board,  Clyde !  "  Kenneth  shout 
ed  to  that  member  of  the  company,  who  was 
below  when  the  shock  came.  The  boy  picked 
himself  up,  and  pulled  at  the  line  which  ran 
through  a  pulley  made  fast  to  the  deck  beams, 
arid  through  a  corresponding  block  on  the  centre 
board.  He  tugged  and  tugged,  but  the  weight 
of  the  wind  on  the  sails  jammed  the  board  in  its 
trunk,  and  he  could  not  move  it. 

The  canvas  was  lowered  and  then  the  board 
came  up.  Arthur  took  "  His  Xibs  "  and  an  an 
chor  which  he  intended  to  drop  overboard  some 
distance  from  the  yacht,  when  it  would  serve  as  a 
kedge  to  pull  her  over  the  obstruction,  but  be 
fore  the  mate  got  far  enough  to  drop  the  hook, 
the  sails,  which  had  been  raised  meantime,  caught 
the  strong  wind  and  hurried  the  yacht  over  the 
bar. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  bounded  forward. 

"Heave  over  the  anchor,  Art!"  Kenneth 
shouted,  as  he  jumped  to  the  tiller.  But  the 
iron  was  so  heavy  and  the  speed  of  the  yacht  so 
great  that  the  slack  was  taken  in  before  the  mate 
could  obey  the  command.  In  an  instant  "  His 
Kibs  "  was  capsized  and  the  mate  wras  swim 
ming  round  in  the  cold  water  in  company  with 
74 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

the  cakes  of  ice.  He  soon  found  that  the  water 
only  reached  to  his  waist,  however,  and  he  waded 
quickly  to  "  His  Xibs,"  bailed  the  boat  out,  and 
paddled  over  to  the  "  Gazelle,'7  which  had  mean 
time  come  up  into  the  wind  and  was  fast  to  the 
anchor  dropped  when  the  small  boat  capsized. 

"  Well,"  said  Arthur,  as  he  scrambled  aboard, 
"  maybe  I  got  excited,  but  I  kept  cool  all  right." 
He  chuckled  at  his  wit,  though  his  teeth  chat 
tered  suggestively,  and  he  had  a  blue  look  which 
his  friends  did  not  like  to  see.  A  sharp  rub 
down,  a  change  of  clothing,  and  a  cup  of  hot  cof 
fee  brought  him  around  in  short  order. 

After  this  experience  luck  seemed  to  be  with 
the  boys.  They  sailed  down  the  wide  river, 
crossing  from  side  to  side  as  the  channel  dictated, 
but  with  favoring  winds  and  bright  skies.  The 
great  stream  was  never  monotonous,  especially 
to  the  crew  of  a  sailing  craft.  It  is  full  of 
surprises  and  interests;  its  channel  turns  and 
twists  many  times  in  a  mile  and  changes  every 
day. 

But  woe  betide  the  vessel  that  depended  on 
a  misplaced  beacon.  It  was  this  that  nearly,  so 
very  nearly,  ended  the  career  of  the  "  Gazelle  " 
and  her  crew.  At  Goose  Island,  on  the  Missouri 
side,  they  ran  aground,  having  laid  their  course 
according  to  a  misplaced  light. 
75 


A   YEAR   IN  A    JAWL 

It  was  a  very  serious  situation  which  these 
youngsters  had  to  face.  The  boat  was  caught 
hard  and  fast  in  a  stream  running  from  four  to 
five  miles  an  hour,  carrying  great  chunks  of  ice 
that  struck  all  obstacles  with  the  force  of  bat 
tering  rams.  The  bar  was  almost  in  midstream, 
too  far  away  from  shore  to  hail.  A  small  boat 
of  "  His  Nibs's  "  strength  would  not  live  in  the 
ice  ten  minutes.  It  was  about  as  grim  a  predica 
ment  as  could  be  imagined.  All  the  sails  were 
spread,  the  board  raised,  and  the  crew,  with  the 
exception  of  the  man  at  the  helm,  shoved  with 
oars  for  hours;  but  the  "  Gazelle  "  did  not  budge 
an  inch. 

Then  they  tried  to  take  an  anchor  out,  but 
"  His  Nibs  "  was  no  sooner  put  overboard  than  a 
big  cake  of  ice  came  along  and  gave  the  light 
little  craft  such  a  terrific  thump  that  the  boys 
pulled  her  in  hurriedly — they  could  not  afford 
to  run  any  risks  with  the  only  means  they  had  of 
reaching  shore. 

Hour  by  hour  the  cold  increased,  until  it  got 
close  to  the  zero  mark,  and  as  the  weather  became 
colder  the  streams  supplying  the  Mississippi 
froze  up,  and  the  water  of  the  great  stream  grew 
less  and  less. 

The  boys  worked  with  desperation — stayed  up 
late  at  night  and  rose  at  daybreak,  hoping  for  a 
76 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

rise  of  water  or  a  favorable  slant  of  wind.  The 
increased  cold  made  it  necessary  to  keep  the  oil 
stove  burning,  and  the  fuel  began  to  get  low. 
While  sailing  along  the  river,  whose  banks  were 
lined  with  towns,  the  boys  did  not  lay  in  a  great 
stock  of  provisions;  they  thought  it  better  to  get 
them  in  fresh  as  frequently  as  possible. 

"  Well,  Ken,"  Clyde  remarked  the  third  day 
of  their  imprisonment  on  the  bar,  "  we  will  have 
to  live  on  raw  potatoes  and  river  water  pretty 
soon.  My  oil  is  about  gone,  and  everything 
else  is  almost  eaten  up." 

"  There  is  one  more  thing  to  do,"  the  captain 
said  at  length.  "  Throw  out  our  pig  iron  ballast. 
I  hate  to  lose  it,  but  it  is  the  only  thing  left  to 
do." 

All  of  the  boys  showed  the  effects  of  tremen 
dously  hard  work,  of  the  fight  with  cold  and  ice, 
with  wind  and  water,  but  Kenneth  was  particu 
larly  worn.  On  him  fell  the  responsibility. 
The  others  were  in  his  care,  and  if  anything  hap 
pened  to  them  he  knew  he  would  be  held  ac 
countable.  The  constant  strain,  the  lack  of 
sleep — he  was  up  all  hours  of  the  night — and  his 
anxiety,  told  on  even  his  rugged  health.  He 
grew  perceptibly  thinner  in  three  days,  dark 
rings  showed  under  his  eyes,  and  little  things 
vexed  him  unwarrantably.  They  were  all  irri- 
77 


A   YEAR   IN   A    YIIVL 

table,  and  it  speaks  well  for  their  closely  knit 
friendship  that  no  words  arose  between  them. 

"  "Well,  boys/'  Kenneth  said,  cheerfully 
enough,  "  let's  play  our  last  card.  Let's  turn  to 
and  throw  over  the  ballast." 

It  was  hard  work  lugging  the  heavy  sash 
weights  that  made  up  the  ballast  from  below  and 
throwing  them  over  the  side.  There  was  at  least 
half  a  ton  to  be  discarded,  and  by  the  time  the 
last  of  it  was  overboard  the  boys  thought  that 
there  must  have  been  tons. 

Guess,  then,  how  their  hearts  leaped  with  joy 
when  at  last,  after  three  weary  days,  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  floated  over  the  bar  and  into  deeper  water. 
But  it  was  a  short-lived  triumph,  for  they  speedi 
ly  found  that  there  was  another  bar  across  the 
channel — the  low  water  almost  bared  it,  and  they 
realized  that  they  were  trapped  in  a  little  basin 
a  half-mile  from  shore,  with  absolutely  no  pro 
tection  from  the  ice,  which  was  running  heavier 
and  heavier. 

To  anchor  and  wait,  trusting  to  Providence, 
was  all  that  they  could  do.  So  two  anchors  were 
dropped,  and  the  boys  faced  the  situation.  The 
weather  continued  piercing  cold.  The  oil  gave 
out  altogether,  and  then  the  crew  had  to  live  on 
cold  things  and  exist  as  best  they  could  in  the 
cold  cabin. 

78 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

The  strain  was  even  harder  to  bear  than  the 
cold  and  hunger.  Great  chunks  of  ice  came 
sailing  down  on  them  continually,  and  the  boys 
wondered  each  time  if  the  "  Gazelle  "  would  be 
able  to  stand  another  such  hard  knock. 

The  bar  beyond  caught  the  majority  of  the 
larger  chunks,  and  soon  an  ice  gorge  was  formed 
that  hourly  grew  bigger  until  the  "  Gazelle's  " 
stern  was  not  twenty  yards  from  it.  Each  new 
cake  added  to  the  heap,  and  formed  new  teeth, 
which  were  ever  moving  in  the  rushing  current 
—teeth  which  would  grind  up  any  living  thing 
in  a  very  few  moments. 

The  second  night  after  the  "  Gazelle  "  got 
afloat  the  boys  were  in  the  cabin,  and  all  but 
Kenneth  had  fallen  asleep  from  sheer  exhaus 
tion — the  recurring  bumps  of  drifting  cakes  of 
ice  not  disturbing  them  in  the  least.  But  Ran 
som  could  not  sleep.  He  could  not  forget  the 
horrible  danger  which  they  were  in,  nor  could 
he  shut  his  ears  to  the  sound  of  crunching  ice 
just  behind  the  yacht. 

Of  a  sudden  there  came  a  jar  with  a  new  qual 
ity  in  it.  Ransom  rushed  up  the  companion- 
way,  grabbing  his  woollen  cap  as  he  ran,  then  for 
ward  over  the  icy  deck.  He  found  the  ragged, 
frayed  end  of  the  anchor  cable  hanging  over 
board.  The  constant  rubbing  of  the  ice  had 
79 


A   TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

weakened  it,  and  the  extra  heavy  floe  had  com 
pletely  sundered  it.  There  was  but  one  anchor 
now  to  depend  on;  if  that  should  fail  them,  it 
would  mean  instant  destruction  to  the  yacht  and 
certain  death  for  her  crew. 

It  was  too  great  a  risk  to  run — that  other  an 
chor  must  be  found  somehow,  and  its  holding 
power  made  good  again. 

Realizing  that  his  companions  would  try  to 
deter  him  from  the  desperate  undertaking  which 
he  had  in  mind,  Ixansom  did  not  call  his  friends, 
but  quietly  launched  "  His  Mbs  "  from  the  stern, 
in  spite  of  the  current  and  the  remorseless  ice, 
and  drawing  her  forward  by  the  painter  he  got 
in  at  the  bow  and  prepared  to  feel  for  the  parted 
anchor  cable  with  a  boat  hook.  He  pulled  hand 
over  hand  on  the  cable  of  the  other  anchor,  and 
finally  gained  a  point  where  he  thought  he  might 
begin  to  reach  for  the  sunken  line.  It  was  well 
past  midnight,  and  so  dark  that  everything  had 
to  be  done  by  sense  of  touch  only.  Intensely 
cold,  the  oars,  the  line  he  was  holding,  and  the 
boat  hook — everything,  in  fact,  was  coated  with 
a  slippery  skin  of  ice. 

Holding  on  by  one  hand  to  the  anchor  cable 
and  the  boat  hook  with  the  other,  Kenneth  be 
gan  to  grope  for  the  other  line.  His  right  arm 
ached  with  the  exertion  of  feeling  on  the  bot- 
80 


A   PERILOUS   SITUATION 

torn  with  a  heavy  boat  hook,  while  his  left 
wrist  seemed  about  to  break  with  the  strain  put 
upon  it;  the  cold  nipped  at  his  exposed  face 
and  wet,  mittened  hands.  But  still  he  perse 
vered,  At  last  he  felt  the  touch  of  the  line  at 
the  end  of  his  pole ;  he  began  to  haul  in  slowly- 
holding  with  his  elbow  the  pole  as  he  took  a  fresh 
hold  further  up.  Suddenly  a  huge  floe  struck 
the  little  boat,  dragging  the  anchor  line  out  of 
his  grasp,  and  pulled  him  backwards  into  the  bot 
tom  of  the  boat.  The  current  swept  him  back 
past  the  "  Gazelle  "  and  on  toward  the  gnashing 
teeth  of  the  gorge. 


81 


CHAPTER  VI 

AX  ARCTIC   ADVEjSTTUBE 

"Arthur— Clyde— Frank!  O-o-o-oli  boys!  " 
It  was  a  despairing  cry  that  rang  over  those 
dismal,  freezing  waters.  "  Help !  " 

It  was  too  late — no  help  from  the  "  Gazelle  " 
could  save  the  boy  in  his  frail  craft.  The  cur 
rent  had  swept  him  beyond  the  reach  of  any  one 
on  board,  even  if  a  soul  had  been  awake  to  hear 
his  call  for  help. 

The  grinding,  crushing,  gnashing  sound  of  the 
crumbling  ice  on  the  gorge  grew  nearer  and 
nearer. 

Kenneth  scrambled  to  a  sitting  posture,  and 
searched  with  groping  hands  in  the  darkness  for 
the  oars.  At  last  he  found  them.  ~No — only 
one — a  misplaced  brace  deceived  him.  Again 
he  searched,  with  desperate  haste.  He  could 
hear  the  lap  of  the  water  on  the  piled-up  floes 
now.  The  other  oar  was  not  there ;  he  dimly  re 
membered  now  that  he  dropped  it  when  he  fell 
backward. 

82 


AN  ARCTIC   ADVENTURE 

Putting  out  his  one  oar  lie  began  to  scull  with 
it,  but  tho  boat  had  drifted  round  broadside  to 
the  current,  and  he  could  not  head  it  away  from 
the  inexorable  Avail  of  ice  now  so  close.  At  last 
he  gave  the  struggle  up  and  trusted  to  Provi 
dence,  lie  comprehended  how  puny  and  futile 
his  own  strength  was  compared  to  the  power  of 
these  mighty  odds.  The  boat  drifted  nearer  and 
nearer  to  what  seemed  certain  destruction. 
Eansom  crouched  low,  prepared  to  spring  to  any 
cake  that  might  bear  his  weight — it  was  his  only 
chance.  He  grasped  the  painter  of  the  boat  in 
his  hand,  and  as  soon  as  he  felt  the  first  bump  of 
the  broken  ice  against  "  His  Nibs's  "  side,  he 
sprang  at  a  white  surface  that  showed  dimly  be 
fore  him.  By  some  lucky  chance,  or  rather 
owing  to  a  merciful  God,  it  was  a  large  floe, 
which,  though  it  tottered  and  tipped  dangerous 
ly,  did  not  capsize.  It  bore  the  boy's  weight- 
bravely.  For  a  minute  Kenneth  paused  for 
breath,  then  he  noticed  that  "  His  Nibs  "  was 
being  battered  and  ground  by  the  constant  action 
of  the  ice.  He  peered  into  the  darkness  to  see 
how  large  his  floating  island  was,  and  stepped 
cautiously  this  way  and  that  to  test  its  stability. 
It  swayed  frightfully,  but  the  boy  determined  to 
risk  adding  the  extra  weight  of  the  small  boat. 
Inch  by  inch  he  drew  it  over  the  slippery  surface, 
83 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

and  deeper  and  deeper  sank  the  ice  island  on 
that  side  until  it  was  submerged  a  half  a  foot  or 
so.  Kenneth  stood  on  the  sharply  inclined  slip 
pery  ice  in  imminent  danger  of  sliding  off. 
Though  it  was  zero  weather,  the  perspiration 
stood  out  on  his  forehead  in  beads,  and  ran  into 
his  eyes  till  it  blinded  him.  Gradually  "  His 
Mbs  "  was  hauled  up  till  it  rested  beside  him, 
for  the  time,  at  least,  secure. 

For  a  space  he  rested  his  aching  limbs  and 
bruised  back.  The  white  shape  of  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  could  be  faintly  made  out  through  the 
gloom,  so  near  and  yet  absolutely  unattainable. 
Never  before  had  the  boy — the  designer,  builder 
and  owner  of  the  craft — so  yearned  for  her. 
She  was  cold,  cheerless,  and  in  extreme  peril  her 
self,  but  she  seemed  a  very  haven  of  rest  and 
security  to  the  castaway. 

Kenneth  knew  that  he  must  fight  for  his  own 
life  and  that  no  aid  would  be  forthcoming  from 
the  yacht,  and  he  began  to  study  the  situation. 
Grim  enough  he  found  it.  A  strong  current 
bore  down  on  the  gorge,  carrying  ice  and  debris 
of  every  kind,  grinding  away  at  the  edge  of  Ran 
som's  floe.  It  was  evident  that  it  would  break 
up  eventually,  and  the  boy  prayed  that  it  would 
last  till  he  should  find  some  other  refuge.  He 
noticed  that  bits  of  wood  and  fragments  of  ice 
84 


AN   ARCTIC   ADVENTURE 

floated  off  to  the  right  after  colliding  with  the 
obstruction.  This  set  him  to  thinking.  There 
must  be  some  break  through,  that  caused  the  cur 
rent  to  swerve.  He  looked  long  and  intently  to 
the  right,  but  could  make  out  nothing  in  the 
darkness.  He  felt  sure,  however,  that  there 
must  be  a  channel  somewhere,  and  he  deter 
mined  to  find  it.  With  great  and  laborious  care 
he  launched  the  boat  and  sprang  into  it.  Fend 
ing  off  from  the  teeth  of  the  gorge  with  his  oar, 
he  worked  his  way  gradually  to  the  right.  Twice 
he  had  to  jump  to  a  floe  and  haul  his  boat  out 
from  between  two  grinding  cakes.  But  in  spite 
of  the  labor,  of  darkness,  of  weary  limbs,  and 
hands  numbed  with  cold,  he  gained,  until  at  last 
he  reached  the  gap  and  was  carried  through. 
He  floated  nearly  a  mile  before  he  could  make 
his  way  to  shore.  It  was  bleak  enough,  but  he 
uttered  a  fervent  "  Thank  God  "  as  he  set  foot 
on  solid  ground.  The  river  bordered  a  cornfield 
at  this  point,  and  many  of  the  rotting  stacks  were 
still  standing.  Kenneth  made  for  one  of  these 
and  burrowing  into  it,  sank  down  to  rest.  He 
was  desperately  weary  and  almost  unbearably 
cold,  but  thankful  to  his  heart's  core  for  his 
escape. 

"  If  I  could  only  rest  here  till  morning/'  he 
thought.     It  was  a  sheltered  spot,  and  he  began 
85 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

to  feel  the  reaction  following  his  tremendous  ex 
ertions.  He  was  languid  and  drowsy,  and  his 
fast  stiffening  muscles  cried  out  for  rest.  It  was 
a  temptation  the  sorely  tried  boy  found  hard  to 
resist;  but  the  thought  of  his  friends  aboard  the 
yacht,  their  state  of  mind  when  they  discovered 
his  absence,  and  the  loss  of  their  only  means  of 
reaching  shore,  urged  him  on  and  gave  him  no 
peace.  His  imagination  pictured  the  hazardous 
things  the  boys  might  do  if  he  was  not  there  to 
calm  them.  As  he  lay  curled  up  on  the  frozen 
ground,  under  the  stiniiigly  dusty  stalks,  visions 
rose  of  the  boys  jumping  overboard  and  attempt 
ing  to  swim  ashore;  of  their  setting  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  adrift  in  the  hope  that  she  would  reach 
the  bank.  Many  other  waking  dreams  disturbed 
him,  most  of  them  absolutely  impracticable,  but 
to  his  overtired  and  excited  imagination  pain 
fully  real,  and  his  anxiety  finally  drove  him  out 
of  his  nest  into  the  biting  cold  again. 

Then  Kenneth  stopped  to  think,  to  plan,  a 
minute.  He  had  but  one  oar — he  could  not  row 
against  the  strong  current  and  floating  ice — he 
could  not  drag  the  boat  through  the  water,  the 
shore  was  too  uneven  and  fringed,  moreover, 
with  ice.  Bare  fields  and  brown  waters  sur 
rounded  him,  there  was  no  sign  of  human  habi 
tation,  there  was  no  help  to  be  had,  and  he  must 
86 


AN  ARCTIC  ADVENTURE 

reach  the  yacht  that  night — but  how?  He  stud 
ied  hard,  and  could  think  of  but  one  way — to 
drag  the  boat  overland  till  he  was  above  the 
"  Gazelle's  "  anchorage,  then  launch  it  and  drift 
down  with  the  current. 

How  great  the  distance  was  he  did  not  know, 
but  he  realized  that  it  was  a  long  way  and  that 
the  journey  could  only  be  made  by  the  hardest 
kind  of  work,  under  the  most  trying  of  circum 
stances. 

His  very  body  revolted  at  the  cruelly  hard  ex 
ertions,  every  nerve  and  muscle  crying  for  rest;- 
but  his  will  was  strong,  and  he  forced  his  aching 
body  to  do  his  bidding. 

"  His  Nibs  "  weighed  but  seventy-five  pounds 
with  her  entire  equipment,  but  what  the  boat 
lacked  in  avoirdupois  it  gained  twofold  in 
bulkiness.  There  was  some  snow  on  the  ground, 
and  this  helped  somewhat  to  slide  the  small  craft 
along  on  its  strange  overland  journey. 

So  began  the  hardest  experience  Kansom  had 
ever  yet  encountered.  Facing  the  stiff  wind  and 
zero  temperature,  he  slowly  dragged  the  dead 
weight  over  the  thinly  frosted  ground.  Oh,  so 
slowly  he  crawled  along;  now  going  round  an 
obstruction,  now  climbing  over  a  stump — for 
ever  hauling  the  reluctant  boat  along.  Every 
few  hundred  yards  the  nearly  exhausted  lad 
87 


A   YEAR   7AT   A    YAWL 

stopped  to  catch  his  breath  and  rest  under  a  heap 
of  cornstalks  or  a  mound  of  rubbish,  burrowing 
like  an  animal.  His  hands  and  feet  ached  with 
cold,  several  times  his  ears  lost  their  sense  of 
feeling  and  had  to  be  rubbed  back  to  life  with 
snow. 

He  grew  dizzy  with  faintness,  for  it  will  be 
remembered  that  he,  with  the  other  boys,  had 
had  insufficient  food  for  days,  and  he  had  not 
eaten  a  morsel  since  six  o'clock.  His  back 
ached,  his  legs  ached,  his  head  ached,  he  was 
utterly  exhausted ;  but  still  he  kept  on  doggedly. 
At  last  he  reached  a  point  on  a  line  with  the 
ik  Gazelle;  "  he  could  just  make  her  out  silhouet 
ted  against  the  sombre  sky.  He  knew  his  jour 
ney  wras  nearly  at  an  end,  and  he  went  forward 
with  a  last  desperate  gathering  together  of  his 
powers.  At  length,  judging  that  he  was  far 
enough  up  stream  to  launch,  he  shoved  "  His 
Xibs's  "  stem  into  the  water  with  fear  and  trem 
bling,  for  the  little  craft  had  passed  through  a 
trying  ordeal,  scraping  over  rough  ground, 
stones  and  sticks.  Ransom  could  not  see  if  the 
frail  craft  leaked,  but  it  certainly  floated.  He 
jumped  in  and  pushed  off,  still  anxious  but  hope 
ful,  feeling  that  he  was  homeward  bound.  The 
"  Gazelle  "  was  still  afloat — the  thought  cheered 
him. 

88 


AN  ARCTIC   ADVENTURE 

"With  the  single  oar  in  hand  he  sat  in  the  stern 
sheets,  and  using  it  as  both  a  rudder  and  a  pro 
peller,  he  avoided  some  floes  and  lessened  the 
shock  of  contact  with  others. 

At  last  the  "  Gazelle "  loomed  up  ahead, 
serene  and  steady — the  dearest  spot  on  earth  to 
the  castaway. 

"  All  right,  boys,"  Kenneth  shouted  huskily 
as  he  drew  near,  "  I'm  O.  K" 

There  was  no  response. 

"  His  Nibs  "  swept  alongside  and  Kenneth, 
grasping  at  the  shrouds,  stopped  himself  and 
clambered  stiffly  aboard.  All  was  quiet,  His 
imagination  pictured  all  sorts  of  horrible  mishaps 
to  the  crew,  and  he  ran  aft,  stopping  only  to 
secure  "  His  Nibs."  Yanking  open  the  frosted 
hatch,  he  pulled  open  the  door  and  rushed 
below. 

A  chorus  of  snores  greeted  him.  Not  one  of 
them  knew  he  had  been  gone  four  hours. 

Kenneth  did  not  disturb  them;  but  after  haul 
ing  the  small  boat  on  deck  out  of  harm's  way  he 
crawled  into  his  bunk  and  fell  into  the  stupor 
of  utter  exhaustion. 

Early  next  morning  all  hands  were  wakened 

by  the  bump  and  crash  of  ice,  and  another  day 

of  anxiety  began.     The  morning  after,  however, 

found  an  improvement  in  the  conditions — the 

89 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

ice  had  almost  stopped  running  and  the  weather 
moderated.  "  His  Nibs  "  was  launched  and  the 
bottom  was  sounded  for  half  a  mile  in  every 
direction,  in  hopes  that  a  channel  might  be  found 
to  shore,  or  down  the  river  to  a  more  sheltered 
spot.  But  bars  obstructed  everywhere.  There 
was  no  water  deep  enough  to  float  the  yacht  at 
her  present  draft,  except  in  the  basin  in  which 
she  rested. 

"  Well,  here  goes  the  rest  of  our  ballast,"  said 
Ransom,  after  the  last  soundings  had  been  taken ; 
and  all  hands  began  with  what  strength  they  had 
left  to  heave  over  the  iron.  By  taking  down  the 
rigging  and  tying  it  together,  it  was  found  that 
a  line  could  be  made  fast  to  shore.  The  sturdy 
little  anchor  was  raised  and  the  "  Gazelle," 
working  her  windlass,  was  drawn  to  the  bank. 
In  her  lightened  condition  she  floated  over  the 
bars.  Once  more  they  were  safe,  and  the  boys 
felt  that  God  had  been  good  to  them  to  bring 
them  through  so  many  perils. 

Frank,  the  nimrod  of  the  party,  went  ashore 
and  shot  a  rabbit;  a  fire  was  built,  and  soon  all 
hands  were  feasting  on  hot,  nourishing  food — 
the  first  for  many  days.  How  good  it  tasted 
only  those  who  have  been  nearly  starved  can 
realize. 

The  sleep  which  the  four  voyagers  put  in  the 
90 


AN  ARCTIC  ADVENTURE 

night  of  the  12th  of  December,  1898,  was  like 
that  of  hibernating  bears,  and  fully  as  restful. 

Kenneth  and  Arthur  drew  the  long  strands  of 
yarn  this  time,  and  set  off  to  find  Commerce, 
Missouri,  ten  miles  across  country. 

It  was  a  long  walk,  but  the  two  boys  enjoyed 
it  hugely — indeed,  it  was  a  relief  to  be  able  to 
walk  straight  ahead  without  having  to  stop  to 
turn  at  the  end  of  a  cockpit  or  the  butt  of  a  bow 
sprit. 

For  the  first  few  miles  the  talk  was  continuous, 
and  many  were  the  jokes  about  the  mockery  of 
the  phrase  "  The  Sunny  South  "  when  the  mer 
cury  lingered  about  the  zero  mark.  But  as  they 
neared  the  end  of  their  journey  they  talked  less, 
and  put  more  of  their  strength  into  the  unaccus 
tomed  exercise  of  walking. 

Eeaching  the  town,  they  telegraphed  home 
that  all  was  well — a  message  which  they  knew 
would  relieve  much  anxiety.  They  also  wrote 
to  the  postmasters  along  the  line  to  send  mail  to 
the  crew  at  Commerce.  Then,  for  the  first  time 
in  two  months,  they  slept  in  a  bed — a  luxury 
they  felt  they  fully  deserved.  The  boarding- 
house  at  which  they  had  put  up  was  a  clean, 
pleasant  place,  and  the  bed — the  feather  variety 
— seemed  veritably  heaven  to  them. 

Two  pleasant  girls  were  also  staying  at  this 
91 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

house,  and  the  boys  had  the  added  pleasure  of 
feminine  society.  They  talked  to  the  interested 
maidens  of  their  adventures  until  the  girls'  faces 
flushed  and  their  eyes  brightened — yes,  and 
moistened  even — with  sympathy  when  they  were 
told  of  an  especially  trying  experience. 

They  had  had  many  interested  listeners  all 
along  the  line,  but  the  hero-worshipping  look  in 
the  eyes  of  the  two  girls  was  particularly  sweet 
to  the  boys. 

"  Say,  Ken,"  Arthur  said  comfortably,  as  he 
tumbled  into  bed,  "  let's  stay  a  week." 

"  Yes,  this  bed  is  immense,  isn't  it?  " 

"Oh,  hang  the  bed!"  Arthur  growled. 
"  You're  the  most  material  duffer;  there  is  some 
thing  besides  creature  comforts  in  this  world, 
after  all,  you  know." 

"  No,  I  am  not.  I  appreciate  a  pretty  audi 
ence  as  much  as  "  —Ransom  interrupted  him 
self  with  a  yawn — "  you  do,  but  whaz-zer  use 
of  discussing " 

Another  yawn  stopped  his  speech,  and  at  the 
end  of  it  he  was  sound  asleep. 

"H'm!  "  grunted  Arthur  in  disgust,  and  he 
turned  his  back  upon  him. 

The  purchases  the  two  made  the  next  day 
weighted  their  backs  but  lightened  their  pockets, 
and  Ransom  had  to  telegraph  for  more  money. 
92 


AN  ARCTIC   ADVENTURE 

It  took  considerable  resolution  to  break  away 
from  the  pleasant  society  at  the  boarding-house 
and  trudge  the  long  miles  to  the  yawl  carrying  a 
heavy  pack.  But  they  summoned  up  courage, 
and  with  a  pleasant  good-bye  and  a  grateful 
"  Come  again  "  ringing  in  their  ears,  they  once 
more  started  out  on  their  adventures. 

At  the  end  of  three  days  they  were  back  again, 
Kenneth  to  receive  his  money  order,  which  was 
due  by  that  time,  and  the  mate  to  help  carry  more 
supplies.  That  night  they  told  more  thrilling 
tales  and  took  part  in  a  candy-pull.  The  next 
day  Arthur  had  to  return  alone.  Kenneth's 
money  order  had  not  come,  so  he  had  to  wait 
for  it. 

"  Why  didn't  I  work  the  money  order 
racket?  "  said  Arthur,  as  he  reluctantly  shoul 
dered  his  pack.  "  Ransom's  in  luck  this  time." 

For  a  week  Kenneth  waited  for  word  from 
home;  then  he  began  to  get  nervous;  he  did  not 
know  if  all  was  well  or  not.  Letters  came  for 
the  other  boys,  but  none  for  him.  He  got  more 
than  nervous;  he  became  absolutely  anxious. 
Moreover,  he  wanted  to  get  under  way  again. 
The  little  town  of  Commerce,  with  its  1,600  peo 
ple,  he  had  explored  thoroughly;  made  excur 
sions  into  the  woods  and  had  some  good  shooting; 
but  in  spite  of  unaccustomed  pleasures  he  was 
93 


A   YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

restless.  He  wanted  to  be  moving  down  the 
river  again.  Whether  it  was  the  lack  of  news 
from  home  or  some  other  cause,  he  could  not  tell, 
but  he  had  a  foreboding  of  some  impending  dis 
aster.  At  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  of  his  stay  in 
the  little  Missouri  town  Frank  appeared.  An 
anxious  look  was  on  his  face. 

"My!  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  Ken/7  said  he. 
"  We  wondered  what  had  become  of  you,  so  I 
traipsed  over  to  see." 

Kenneth  explained  the  difficulty.  "  Every 
thing  all  right  aboard  the  '  Gazelle  '?  "  he  asked. 

"  Well,  no,"  Frank  said  reluctantly.  "  When 
are  you  coming  back?  " 

"  To-morrow,  I  hope.  But  what's  the  matter 
aboard?"  Kenneth  remembered  his  forebod 
ings.  "  Don't  keep  me  waiting;  what  is  it?  " 

"  The  fact  is,  Arthur's  sick,  and  neither  Clyde 
nor  I  know  what  to  do  for  him." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  him?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  He  has  a  bad  cold  and  some 
fever,  I  guess,  and  he  seems  kinder  flighty." 
Frank  began  to  reveal  his  anxiety.  "  When  he 
showed  up  the  other  day  after  walking  from  here 
he  talked  sort  of  queer  about  the  game  you 
played  on  him,  the  girls  you  met,  and  about  a 
feather  bed — got  'em  all  mixed  up.  Had  a  ter 
rible  cough,  too.  He's  in  bed  no\v." 
94 


AN  ARCTIC  ADVENTURE 

"  I  wish  I  could  go  back  with  you,  but  I  will 
have  to  wait  for  that  money — I  need  it." 

Frank  returned  alone  after  taking  a  good  rest, 
and  Kansom  waited  for  news  from  home. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day  it  came. 
Cheerful,  helpful  letters  from  the  dear  ones  in 
Michigan.  The  money  order  came  too. 

Kenneth  bought  his  supplies,  and,  after  bid 
ding  his  friends  good-bye,  started  out  on  the  long 
journey.  During  his  stay  in  Commerce  the 
weather  had  softened,  the  frost  had  come  out  of 
the  ground,  and  thick,  sticky  mud  made  walking 
difficult.  The  boy  stepped  out  in  lively  fashion, 
in  spite  of  the  eighty-five  pound  pack  he  carried 
and  the  heavy  rubber  boots  he  wore.  He  for 
got  the  weight  and  discomfort  in  his  anxiety  to 
get  to  the  yacht  and  the  sick  friend  aboard  of 
her. 

It  was  four  o'clock  when  he  started,  and  he 
had  not  been  on  his  way  much  over  an  hour  be 
fore  the  darkness  fell,  and  he  had  to  pick  his  way 
warily.  Of  necessity  he  moved  slowly,  and  the 
pack  grew  heavier  with  every  stride.  The 
sticky  mud  held  on  to  his  rubber  boots  so  that 
his  heels  slipped  up  and  down  inside  until  they 
began  to  chafe  and  grow  tender.  An  hour  later 
he  was  still  walking — more  and  more  slowly  un 
der  the  weight  of  the  pack,  which  seemed  to  have 
95 


A    TEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

acquired  the  weight  of  a  house.  Blisters  had 
formed  on  his  heels  and  were  rapidly  wearing  off 
to  raw  flesh. 

When  he  hailed  the  "  Gazelle "  at  seven 
o'clock,  after  three  hours  of  most  agonizing 
trudging,  he  was  very  nearly  exhausted  and  his 
heels  were  bleeding.  The  absolute  necessity  of 
reaching  Arthur  soon  and  of  applying  the  little 
knowledge  he  had  of  medicines,  had  kept  him 
from  going  under,  and  had  given  him  courage  to 
go  on  his  way. 

"Thank  God,  you've  come!"  was  Clyde's 
greeting  when  he  came  to  ferry  Kenneth  over. 

"How's  Arthur?"  was  the  skipper's  first  in 
quiry. 

"  Crazy;  clean  crazy,  and  awful  sick."  Clyde 
was  clearly  greatly  worried. 

"  Oh!  I  guess  he'll  conie  out  all  right."  Han 
som  saw  that  it  was  his  play  to  put  on  a  cheerful 
front  and  conceal  the  anxiety,  the  physical  weari 
ness  and  pain  he  felt.  "  You  can't  kill  a  Mor 
row,  you  know." 

They  stepped  aboard,  and  the  first  thing  the 
captain  heard  was  his  friend's  incoherent  mut 
tering. 

Arthur  lay  tossing  on  his  bunk  in  the  chilly, 
musty  cabin,  half  clothed  and  in  very  evident 
discomfort.  His  eyes  were  open,  and  it  cut  Ken- 
96 


AN  ARCTIC  ADVENTURE 

neth  to  the  quick  to  see  that  there  was  not  a  sign 
of  recognition  in  them. 

All  weariness  and  pain  were  forgotten  in  the 
work  which  followed  to  make  the  sick  boy  more 
comfortable.  Hot  soups  were  prepared  and  fed 
to  him.  Ransom  had  luckily  provided  a  medi 
cine  chest  for  just  such  an  emergency,  and  now 
he  drew  on  its  resources  wisely. 

It  was  midnight  before  Arthur  was  quieted 
and  asleep.  During  the  entire  evening  the 
three  boys  were  as  busy  as  they  could  be,  cook 
ing,  heating  water,  cleaning  up  and  setting 
things  to  rights.  Then  only  could  a  council  be 
held  and  the  situation  discussed  in  all  its  bear 
ings. 

"  "Well,  Doc,"  said  Frank,  smiling  wanly, 
"  what  do  you  think  is  the  matter  with  Art?  " 

"  I  wish  I  was  an  M.  D."  No  wish  was  more 
fervently  spoken.  "  Oh !  Arthur  has  a  bad  cold, 
I  think/7  Ransom  began  his  diagnosis,  "  and 
his  nerves  are  used  up.  Too  much  ice  pounding 
and  threatening,  and  not  enough  sleep." 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  Clyde  asked.  "  These 
are  pretty  small  quarters  to  care  for  a  sick  man." 

"  We'll  spoil  his  rest  cluttering  round,"  sug 
gested  Frank. 

"  "Well,  I  think  that  if  we  put  him  ashore  in  a 
hospital  he  would  miss  us  and  the  familiar  things 
7  97 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

around;  he  would  have  nothing  to  think  of  but 
himself,  and  he  would  wrorry  himself  worse," 
Kenneth  expressed  his  convictions  with  em 
phasis. 

"  But  he  would  get  better  care/7  Frank  ob 
jected. 

"  Oh,  I  think  we  can  look  out  for  him  all 
right,"  the  skipper  interposed,  "  and  I  honestly 
believe  that  if  he  came  to  himself  in  a  hospital 
with  strange  people  round,  nurses  and  things,  be 
would  think  that  he  was  terribly  sick,  and  the 
thought  of  it  might  really  do  him  up.  If  we 
keep  him  aboard — and  I  promise  you  that  I  will 
nurse  him  with  all-fired  care — (Kenneth  spoke 
so  earnestly  that  his  friends  were  touched  and 
reached  forth  hands  of  fellowship) — I  think  that 
when  he  comes  to  and  finds  himself  with  us  and 
on  the  old  '  Gazelle/  he  wTill  pull  himself  to 
gether  in  great  shape  and  brace  up.  As  long  as 
Arthur  has  his  nerve  with  him,  he's  all  right. 
We  have  had  a  tough  time  of  it,  and  he  has  lost 
his  grip  a  bit ;  but  I  am  dead  sure  that  if  we  stick 
by  him  he  wrill  pull  through  all  right." 

"  It's  all  right,  old  man,"  Clyde  said  heartily. 
"  We  are  with  you.  Ain't  we,  Frank?  " 

Frank  said  nothing,  but  got  up  and  crossing 
the  cabin  took  the  skipper's  right  hand  while 
Clyde  took  the  left.  The  three  gripped  hard  for 


AN  ARCTIC   ADVENTURE 

a  second  in  silence.  It  was  a  compact  to  stand 
together  through  the  trials  that  they  knew  were 
coming. 

It  was  a  strange  scene:  the  little  cabin,  dimly 
lighted  by  the  swinging  lamp;  the  sick  boy  in 
the  corner  bunk  forward  on  the  starboard  side 
lay  breathing  heavily,  his  flushed  face  in  deep 
shadow.  The  three  boys  sat  on  Ransom's  bunk 
in  a  row  on  the  opposite  side,  the  soft  light 
shining  on  their  anxious  faces,  their  hands  still 
clasped.  Outside  the  great  river  rushed,  and 
the  "  Gazelle  "  tugged  at  her  moorings,  the  rud 
der  slatted,  the  booms  creaked  against  the  masts 
and  the  rigging  hummed  an  answer  to  each  pass 
ing  gust. 

It  was  a  time  to  try  the  temper  of  the  young 
voyagers,  and  bravely  they  stood  the  test. 

"Well,  what's  the  matter  with  turning  in?" 
It  was  Kenneth's  voice  that  broke  the  stillness. 

Not  till  Frank  and  Clyde  had  begun  to  snore 
had  Ransom  time  to  care  for  his  aching  heels. 
To  pull  off  his  boots  was  trying,  but  when  he 
came  to  take  off  his  stockings  he  could  hardly 
suppress  a  cry  of  agony.  The  blood  had  clotted 
and  stuck  to  the  raw  spot,  and  it  felt  as  if  he  was 
pulling  the  nerves  out  by  the  roots.  It  was  a 
long  time  before  the  burning  pain  allowed  him  to 
sleep. 

99 


A   YEAR  IN   A    YAWL 

At  the  first  opportunity  the  voyage  was  con 
tinued;  and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  relief  almost 
amounting  to  hilarity  that  the  line  ashore  was 
cast  off,  and  the  "  Gazelle/'  her  bowsprit  point 
ing  down  stream,  got  under  way  again.  That 
treacherous  place,  fraught  with  so  many  perils, 
such  weariness,  pain,  and  anxiety,  was  behind 
them  at  last. 

They  were  headed  for  the  land  of  promise,  the 
real  "  Sunny  South." 

Even  Arthur  seemed  to  be  less  fretful,  less 
exacting.  Perhaps  the  swish  of  the  water  along 
the  yacht's  smooth  sides  was  soothing,  or  maybe 
the  heave  of  the  little  craft  as  she  felt  the  pres 
sure  of  the  wind,  comforted  the  sick  boy.  Cer 
tainly,  it  had  that  effect  on  his  more  fortunate 
companions. 

When  the  "  Gazelle  "  flew  past  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio  River  and  anchored  just  below,  the 
crew  felt  that  they  were  really  getting  there. 
They  visited  Cairo,  and  though  they  wrere  im 
pressed  with  the  advantage  of  its  superior  loca 
tion  at  the  junction  of  the  two  great  rivers,  they 
were  glad  that  they  did  not  live  in  its  low-lying 
streets. 

At  Columbus,  Kentucky,  the  crew  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  physician,  and  dentist,   who 
travelled   about   the    South    in    a    private    car. 
100 


AN  ARCTIC  ADVENTURE 

Though  Kenneth  felt  that  his  diagnosis  of  Ar 
thur's  case  was  correct,  he  was  mighty  glad  to 
have  a  physician  confirm  it.  Arthur  improved 
slowly — too  slowly.  He  had  a  genuine  case  of 
nervous  prostration.  At  times  he  was  delirious, 
and  then  he  lived  over  again  all  the  horror  of  the 
yacht's  long  imprisonment  in  the  drifting  ice. 
The  poor  boy's  malady  made  him  exasperatingly 
irritable  and  hard  to  please,  so  that  the  cabin  of 
the  "  Gazelle  "  was  by  no  means  the  cheery  home 
it  had  been. 

But  the  captain's  cheerful  fortitude  and  deter 
mination  to  see  the  thing  through  in  spite  of 
hostile  elements,  scant  means,  sickness  and  utter 
ignorance  of  the  stream,  inspired  the  busy  mem 
bers  of  the  crew  so  that  they  worked  together  in 
beautiful  harmony. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Christmas  Day  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  drew  abreast  the  front  of  Columbus,  Ken 
tucky,  and  while  Frank  and  Clyde  went  ashore 
for  mail,  Kenneth  stayed  aboard  to  look  after 
the  invalid  mate  and  cook  the  Christmas  dinner. 
As  the  fragrant  odor  of  broiling  game  and  steam 
ing  coffee  rose,  Kenneth  thought  of  the  far-away 
Michigan  home;  of  his  father,  mother  and  rela 
tives  gathered  round  the  ample,  homely  table; 
of  the  snatches  of  cheerful  talk  and  gentle  rail 
lery  ;  of  the  warmth  and  comfort  and  love. 
101 


A   YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

"  Say,  Ken,"  sounded  a  plaintive  voice  from 
the  other  side  of  the  cabin,  "  where  are  the  boys? 
What  are  we  waiting  here  for?  Give  me  a 
drink,  will  you?  " 

It  was  a  painful  awakening,  but  Ransom  sat 
isfied  Arthur's  wants,  soothed  him,  and  braced 
himself  with  the  determination  that  win  he  must 
and  win  he  would  in  spite  of  all  obstacles. 


102 


CHAPTEE  VII 

SAILING  WITH  FROZEN  EIGGING 

From  Columbus,  Kentucky,  to  Memphis,  Ten 
nessee,  as  the  crow  flies  is,  approximately,  but 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  but  by  river 
it  is  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  tortuous,  puz 
zling  miles.  This  distance  the  "  Gazelle  "  made 
in  nine  days,  including  delays  caused  by  fog,  ad 
verse  winds  and  extra  careful  sailing  on  account 
of  the  sick  boy. 

The  "  Father  of  Waters  "  the  party  found  to 
be  an  absorbingly  interesting  stream.  At  every 
turn  (and  on  an  average  there  was  a  turn  about 
every  other  minute,  it  seemed  to  them)  they  saw 
something  new,  something  strange  and  interest 
ing.  As  they  cruised  along,  people  told  them  of 
river  towns  which  the  Mississippi  had  now  left 
far  inland  as  it  had  gradually  formed  a  new  chan 
nel  and  straightened  its  course.  Others  told  of 
farms  which  had  contributed  a  third  or  even 
four-fifths  of  their  acreage  in  a  single  year  to  the 
undermining  current  of  the  stream;  the  land  not 
103 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

infrequently  being  added  to  another  farm  not 
far  below.  The  changes  in  the  stream  played 
all  sorts  of  pranks  with  the  boundaries  of  States. 
A  man  living  in  Missouri  might  in  a  single  night 
find  his  property  switched  over  into  Kentucky  or 
Tennessee,  the  boundary  line,  the  Mississippi 
having  carved  for  itself  a  new  channel  and  cut 
its  way  through  a  bend. 

After  leaving  Columbus,  Kentucky,  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  found  herself  on  a  straight  piece  of  water 
with  a  strong  wind  on  the  starboard  quarter. 
Ransom  claimed  that  every  point  of  sailing  was 
the  "  Gazelle's  "  best — running,  reaching  and 
beating  to  windward,  all  best — but,  at  any  rate, 
she  skimmed  along  this  day  like  a  bird.  Ken 
neth  was  at  the  stick,  while  Frank  held  the  Mis 
sissippi  guide  to  watch  out  for  beacons  and  chan 
nel  marks.  For  once  all  was  clear,  the  channel 
straight  and  no  dangerous  shoals  marked.  It 
was  a  relief  to  strike  such  a  good  piece  of  river. 
The  air  was  bracingly  cold,  and  all  three  of  the 
boys  felt  exhilarated. 

"How  is  it  down  below,  Art?"  Frank  in 
quired  cheerfully.  "  How  is  it  with  the  ( land 
lubber  lying  down  below,  below  '?  " 

"  I'm  below,  all  right."  The  voice  was  weak 
but  vehement.  "  Still,  I  object  to  being  called 
a  land-lubber.  I'll  show  you  fellows  one  of 
104 


SAILING   WITH   FROZEN  RIGGING 

these  days  that  I'm  as  good  a  sailor  as  any  of 
you." 

"Art  is  getting  touchy/'  said  Kenneth. 
"  He'll  be  all  right  soon,  I  am  willing  to  bet." 

"  Will  you  look  at  that !  "  exclaimed  Clyde, 
who  had  been  gazing  forward  for  some  time. 
"  Just  wait  until  I  get  my  gun." 

He  pointed  to  a  black  object  that  was  bobbing 
up  and  down  in  the  brown  flood.  It  looked  like 
an  animal  swimming  against  the  strong  current. 
While  Clyde  went  below,  Ransom  shifted  his 
helm  in  order  to  get  nearer,  and  before  he 
realized  it  they  were  bearing  down  on  the 
object  at  terrific  speed.  The  yacht,  going 
with  the  current,  was  making  almost  ten  miles 
an  hour. 

"  Sheer  off,  for  heaven's  sake,  Ken!  "  sang  out 
Frank.  "  Quick!  "  Then  as  the  yacht  yawed 
to  starboard  she  passed  the  black  thing  which  had 
excited  Clyde's  hunting  instincts. 

"  Gee!  you  ought  to  know  a  '  sawyer '  when 
you  see  it,  by  this  time."  Frank's  tone  was  full 
of  superior  disgust. 

"How  did  you  find  out  what  a  sawyer  was, 
Mr.  Smarty?  "  Clyde  was  trying  to  conceal  his 
gun  behind  him,  and  he  looked  foolish.  "  What 
is  it,  any  way?  I  bet  you  don't  know." 

"Don't  I,  just!  It's  a  piece  of  timber,  one 
105 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

end  of  which,  water-logged,  sinks  to  the  bottom 
and  is  partly  buried;  the  current  overcomes  the 
buoyancy  of  the  wood  from  time  to  time  and 
causes  the  upper  end  to  sink;  this  makes  the 
motion  like  a  man  sawing  wood — hence  the 


name." 


"  Thanks,  Professor."  Clyde  made  a  mock 
bow.  "  But  all  the  samee,  the  captain  himself 
didn't  know  what  it  was,  and  pretty  near  punched 
the  boat's  bottom  full  of  holes." 

As  they  went  southward  the  character  of  the 
country  changed.  The  high,  heavily  timbered 
bluffs,  often  bold  with  jutting  rocks,  so  character 
istic  of  the  upper  river,  began  to  give  way  to 
more  easy  slopes.  The  stream  broadened  and 
the  level  rose  higher  each  day.  Often,  as  the 
"  Gazelle  "  sped  along,  a  river  steamer  was  met 
ploughing  along  up  the  great  stream.  Her  long 
gangways  raised  up  before  her  like  horns  (long 
gangways  made  necessary  by  the  gently  sloping 
banks  and  absence  of  docks) ;  her  tall  stacks,  side 
by  side,  running  athwartships,  bore  between 
them  the  insignia  of  the  line,  an  anchor  or  a 
wheel.  The  stacks  ended  in  a  fancy  top, 
which  Ransom  said  reminded  him  of  pictures  of 
the  trimming  the  little  girls  of  long  ago  wore 
round  the  end  of  their  pantalettes.  The  river 
boats  are  very  shallow,  and  very  wide  for  their 
106 


SAILING  WITH  FROZEN  RIGGING 

length,  but  in  spite  of  their  unboatlike  appear 
ance  and  their  great  thrashing  wheels,  they  make 
good  time.  Sometimes  a  speed  of  fifteen  miles 
an  hour  against  the  current,  and  twenty-five  with 
the  stream,  is  attained. 

Kenneth  congratulated  himself  repeatedly 
that  he  had  started  on  this  trip,  for  he  realized 
that  in  no  other  way  could  he  have  gained  so 
much  information  about  shipping. 

They  stopped  several  days  at  Memphis,  partly 
to  give  Arthur  a  quiet  rest,  partly  because  the 
weather  conditions  were  against  them. 

At  the  levee  a  number  of  boats  were  nosing 
the  bank,  their  long  gangplanks  outstretched  be 
fore  them  like  great  arms.  A  constant  stream  of 
roustabouts  trundling  bales  of  cotton,  rolling  bar 
rels,  lugging  boxes,  went  up  the  gangways.  The 
mate  stood  near  at  hand,  in  a  conspicuous  spot, 
where  he  could  see  and  be  seen,  and  so  belabored 
the  toiling  men  with  'torrents  of  words,  that  it 
seemed  as  if  he  was  the  motive  power  of  the  en 
tire  procession.  The  negroes  seemed  not  to  no 
tice  him  at  all,  but  moved  along  at  a  steady, 
rhythmical  gait. 

Frank  and  Clyde  stood  watching.  They  mar 
velled  at  the  amount  of  stuff  carried  aboard.  "  I 
bet  they  work  the  same  racket  that  the  spec 
tacular  shows  employ,"  Clyde  said  after  a  while. 
107 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

"  If  you  look  aft  there  somewhere,  you  would 
see  the  same  niggers  carrying  the  same  bundles 
and  things  ashore  again." 

"  Oh,  come  off!  "  exclaimed  the  other. 

"  Yes,  sure;  they  form  an  endless  chain." 

Frank  vouchsafed  him  no  further  reply,  but 
suggested  that  they  try  to  get  on  board  and  see 
for  themselves. 

"  Can  we  come  aboard?  "  Frank  shouted  to  the 
mate  when  he  stopped  to  take  breath. 

"  I  reckon  you  can,"  was  the  answer.  "  Look 
out,  you  yellow-livered  son  of  a  bale  of  cotton! 
Do  you  want  to  knock  the  young  gentlemen  over 
board?" 

The  two  boys  got  on  deck  and  out  of  range  of 
the  mate's  rapid  fire  of  invective  as  soon  as  they 
could.  As  luck  would  have  it,  they  ran  up 
against  a  pilot  the  first  thing,  to  whom  they  told 
something  of  their  trip.  This  the  boys  found,  as 
usual,  to  be  an  open  sesame,  and  their  newly  dis 
covered  friend  showed  them  over  the  steamboat, 
and  pumped  them  for  stories  about  their  trip. 
From  the  hold,  which  was  hardly  seven  feet 
deep,  to  the  hurricane  deck  and  the  pilot  house 
they  went.  The  wheel  house  reached,  the  pilot 
was  in  his  own  domain,  and  he  made  them  sit 
down  while  he  pumped  them  dry.  He  marvelled 
that  a  boat  of  the  "  Gazelle's  "  draught  could 
108 


SAILING    WITH   FROZEN   RIGGING 

come  through  at  this  stage  of  the  water,  with 
only  sails  for  motive  power. 

From  the  great  brass-bound  steering  wheel 
to  the  tall  boilers,  wrhich  could  not  find  room  in 
the  hold,  and  showed  half  their  circumference 
above  the  first  deck,  the  boat  was  full  of  interest 
to  the  young  voyagers. 

"  Jiminy !  what  a  lot  she  carries/'  Clyde  ex 
claimed,  as  he  noticed  the  pile  of  cotton  bales, 
boxes  and  barrels  which  was  rapidly  growing, 
till  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  fill  the  boat  from  her 
blunt  bow  to  stern  post. 

"  She'll  carry  a  thousand  tons  without  turning 
a  hair/'  said  the  pilot  calmly,  as  he  shook  their 
hands.  "  Tell  your  captain  to  come  aboard  if  he 
cares  to." 

Ransom  did  "  care  to,"  and  he  went  over  the 
craft  from  keel  to  flagstaff;  noticed  her  construc 
tion,  and  marvelled  at  her  shallowness — it  was 
part  of  his  business  as  well  as  his  pleasure,  and 
he  wondered  how  the  steamboat  mate's  talk 
would  sound  if  the  oaths  were  left  out.  He  im 
agined  it  would  simply  be  intermittent  silence. 

In  describing  it  afterwards,  he  said  that  the 
mate's  language  was  like  a  rapid-fire  gun  with  a 
plentiful  supply  of  blank  ammunition. 

Arthur  improved  rapidly,  and  by  the  time 
they  had  explored  Memphis — visited  its  fine  old 
109 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YA^YL 

Southern  mansions,  the  busy  cotton  market,  and 
hobnobbed  with  the  steamboat  people — he 
seemed  much  more  like  his  old  self,  though  his 
painful  thinness  and  weakness  showed  how  seri 
ously  ill  he  had  been. 

After  staying  at  Memphis  for  ten  days,  the 
"  Gazelle  "  spread  her  sails,  and  slipped  down  the 
river  on  her  way  to  the  sea. 

At  Peters,  Arkansas,  the  boys  spied  a  cabin 
boat  tied  up  in  a  little  cove,  and  there  was  a  big 
"  26  "  painted  on  its  side. 

"  Well,  this  is  luck!  "  said  Kenneth.  "  There 
are  the  chaps  we  saw  above  Philadelphia  Point. 
Hail  them,  Frank." 

"  Hulloo,  twenty-six!"  Frank's  shout  rang 
out  in  the  frosty  air.  "  Is  the  boss  in?  " 

A  head  appeared  at  the  door  of  the  cabin. 
"  The  boss  is  in,  who  wants  to  see  him?  "  it  said. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  rounded  to,  and  tied  up  to  the 
bank  a  little  below  the  cabin  boat.  As  soon  as 
the  sails  were  furled,  and  everything  made  ship 
shape,  all  four  boys  visited  their  friends,  and 
for  the  greater  part  of  a  week  spent  most  of  their 
time  aboard  the  roomy,  warm  house  boat.  Ar 
thur  improved  wonderfully,  and  all  hands  began 
to  gain  weight  and  grow  fat  on  the  game  which 
they  shot. 

The  crew  of  the  "  Gazelle  "  were  almost  won 
110 


SAILING   WITH   FROZEN  RIGGING 

over  from  the  more  strenuous  life  of  sailing,  to 
the  free  and  easy  cabin-boat  life,  which  is  the 
nearest  approach  to  tramping  that  a  dweller  on 
the  water  can  come  to.  All  along  the  river  the 
boys  saw  cabin  boats  drifting  slowly  along  down 
stream,  or  tied  up  in  the  shelter  of  little  coves 
near  some  town.  Boats  of  varying  degrees  of  re 
spectability  composed  this  fleet.  Boats  well 
built,  clean  and  always  brightly  painted,  homes 
of  fairly  prosperous  families,  whose  head  worked 
on  shore  while  the  home  was  afloat,  in  such  man 
ner  saving  rent  and  taxes.  Boats  built  of  bits 
of  timber,  boards,  and  rusty  tin,  shanties  afloat, 
the  temporary  homes  of  the  lowest  order  of  river 
people.  Theatres,  dance  halls,  dives  of  various 
sorts,  churches,  stores — all  had  their  representa 
tives  on  the  mighty  stream.  A  great  host  of  no 
madic  people  that  followed  the  heat  to  lower 
river  in  winter,  and  ran  up  stream  from  it  in  sum 
mer. 

Many  of  the  river  people  were  like  the  dwell 
ers  of  No.  26,  merely  temporary  members  of  the 
river  community,  who  took  this  method  of  seeing 
the  river,  and  resting  from  the  stress  of  business. 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  regret  that  the  boys 

at  last  took  leave  of  their  hosts  and  went  aboard 

their  thoroughly  cleaned  and  freshened  yacht. 

All  hoped  that  the   "  good-by "   they  shouted 

111 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

over  the  fast  widening  strip  of  water  would  prove 
after  all  to  be  only  "  au  revoir." 

"  There's  no  use  talking,  boys/'  the  skipper 
said  gravely,  "  we've  just  got  to  hump  ourselves 
and  get  south,  where  it's  warm,  so  that  we  won't 
have  to  burn  so  much  oil.  It's  simply  ruinous." 

"All  right;  if  you  keep  healthy,  Art,  and  we 
don't  run  aground,  and  the  boat  don't  get  holes 
punched  in  her  with  the  ice,"  Clyde  remarked, 
"  we  may  see  ISTew  Orleans  before  the  glorious 
Fourth." 

"  It's  no  joke,  Clyde,"  said  Ransom.  "  I'm  al 
most  busted,  and  I  won't  have  enough  to  carry 
me  through  the  Gulf  if  we  don't  hurry." 

"  Like  the  old  coon  who  hurried  up  to  finish 
his  job  before  his  whitewash  gave  out,"  laughed 
Frank. 

But  in  spite  of  good  resolutions  and  ardent 
hopes,  progress  was  slow.  Head  winds  sprang  up, 
dense  fog  shut  down,  obscuring  channel  marks, 
even  snow  fell — the  weather  was  certainly 
against  them. 

"  The  c  Sunny  South/  "  Ransom  quoted  scorn 
fully  one  morning  when  he  put  his  head  out  of 
the  companion  way  and  got  a  block  of  snow  down 
his  neck.  "  They  have  a  funny  brand  of  sun 
down  here."  Yet  as  he  looked  shoreward,  his 
eye  rested  on  an  old  Southern  mansion.  Fluted 
112 


TAKING    SOUNDINGS. 
FRANK    SHOUTED,    'THREE    FATHOMS !'" — (Page    145.) 


SAILING   WITH  FROZEN  RIGGING 

columns  supported  its  double  portico,  wide- 
spreading  trees  from  which  hung  in  festoons  the 
(to  Xorthern  eyes)  weird  Spanish  moss,  clustered 
thickly  around  it;  beyond  were  cotton  fields,  the 
whiteness  of  the  blossoms  rivalling  the  freshly 
fallen  snow. 

"  Say,  fellows,  pinch  me,  will  you?  "  Kenneth 
shouted  down  to  his  friends.  "  I've  got  a  bad 
dream,  I  guess.  All  hands  on  deck  to  shovel 
snow."  Kenneth's  shout  was  very  fierce.  Frank 
appeared  with  a  broom,  Clyde  with  a  dust  pan, 
and  Arthur  brought  a  scrubbing  brush. 

"  Pipe  sweepers,  mate,"  commanded  the  cap 
tain. 

Arthur's  whistle  was  a  failure,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  one  cannot  pucker  the  mouth  to 
whistle  and  laugh  at  the  same  time,  but  the  crew 
understood,  and  all  hands  turned  to  and  swept 
the  decks  free  of  snow. 

"  Pipe  breakfast,"  was  the  next  order.  This 
was  not  necessary,  however;  all  four  boys  tried  to 
get  through  the  two-foot  \vide  companionway  at 
once,  and  all  four  stuck  while  the  tantalizing  odor 
of  steaming  coffee  filled  their  nostrils.  Clyde 
fell  out  of  the  bunch  to  the  cabin  floor,  which  re 
lieved  the  jam,  and  gave  the  others  a  chance. 

At  Vicksburg  the  boys  tied  up  for  four  days, 
and  visited  the  bone  of  contention  between  the 
8  113 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

North  and  the  South  so  many  years  ago.  They 
found  many  reminders  of  the  great  siege — earth 
works  still  plainly  visible,  the  old  stone  house 
where  Grant  and  Pemberton  met  to  arrange  for 
the  surrender  of  the  town.  Most  impressive  of 
all  was  the  great  national  cemetery — a  great  city 
of  the  dead.  Then  the  boys  realized  as  they 
never  could  by  any  other  means  the  terrible 
struggle,  the  bravery  shown  on  both  sides,  and 
the  despair  of -the  besieged  as  they  were  hemmed 
in  more  and  more  closely  by  the  Union  lines, 
while  their  ammunition  gave  out  and  the  food 
grew  scarce.  The  travellers  found  that  the  war 
was  still  the  chief  topic  of  conversation  in  the 
South,  and  they  got  a  point  of  view  new  to  them. 
Events  were  still  dated  on  the  "  time  of  the  war," 
so  it  seemed  as  if  the  great  conflict  had  taken 
place  but  a  few  years  ago.  There  was  a  new 
topic,  however,  that  the  Northern  boys  could  talk 
about  without  the  least  danger  of  giving  offence. 
In  the  war  with  Spain,  the  sons  of  the  Union  and 
the  Confederate  soldier  fought  side  by  side,  and 
the  people  on  both  sides  of  Mason  and  Dixon's 
line  were  equally  proud  of  their  achievements. 
As  the  "  Gazelle  "  got  under  way  and  sailed 
down  stream,  the  boys  looked  back  at  the  heights, 
while  their  thoughts  carried  them  back  to  the 
time  when  Porter's  fleets  lay  at  anchor  in  about 
114 


SAILING   WITH   FROZEN  RIGGING 

the  same  position  and  waited  for  the  storm  of  iron 
from  the  guns  mounted  there  to  cease.  But  the 
wind  was  blowing  half  a  gale,  and  their  attention 
was  called  back  with  a  jar  from  the  past  to  the 
very  practical  present.  The  stream  was  now  very 
full,  and  there  was  little  danger  of  running 
aground,  so  Kenneth  determined  to  sail  in  spite 
of  the  freshening  wind  and  the  steady  drizzle 
that  froze  as  it  fell.  It  was  Arthur's  turn  at  the 
stick,  but  it  was  just  the  kind  of  weather  to  hurt 
one  weakened  by  illness,  so  Kenneth  took  his 
place,  and  sailed  the  boat.  The  wind  a  little 
abaft  the  beam  (another  of  the  best  points  of  sail 
ing,  according  to  Ransom),  the  little  boat  sped 
on,  racing,  seemingly,  with  the  billows  the  gale 
kicked  up. 

The  other  three  boys  stayed  below  in  comfort, 
while  the  captain,  wrapped  in  a  big  ulster  and 
crowned  with  a  yellow  sou'wester,  held  the  tiller, 
and  looked  the  part  of  the  weather-beaten  mar 
iner  down  to  the  ground. 

The  wind  was  steady  and  very  strong,  so  that 
the  yacht  keeled  over  before  it,  and  almost  buried 
her  lee  rail  under;  the  sails  rounded  out  to  the 
blast,  and  as  the  rain  froze  on  them,  the  rigging, 
the  spars  and  the  deck,  she  looked  like  a  great 
candied  boat,  such  as  the  confectioners  like  to 
display  in  their  store  windows.  It  was  exhila- 
115 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

rating,  this  flying  along  in  the  wintry  air,  but  the 
frozen  rigging  and  stiffened  sheets  made  sailing 
difficult  and  dangerous.  It  would  be  impossible 
to  reef,  and  difficult  to  lower  the  canvas  under 
these  conditions. 

"With  eyes  alert,  and  ready  hand  on  tiller,  Ken 
neth  watched  for  snags,  for  reefs  or  for  sand 
bars,  while  the  cold  rain  dashed  into  his  face  in 
spite  of  the  close-drawn  sou'wester.  Mile  after 
mile  the  good  craft  sped  on — swift,  sure  and 
steady.  Past  islands  low  lying  and  gray  in  the 
mist,  past  forests  of  cypress,  white  and  glistening 
with  frost,  the  gray  moss  hanging  from  the 
branches  sleet  covered  and  crackling  in  the  wind. 
It  was  a  run  to  remember,  a  run  that  stimulated, 
yet  at  the  same  time  left  the  steersman  surpris 
ingly  tired,  as  Ransom  found  when  he  tried  to 
work  his  stiffened  limbs  and  help  furl  the  can 
vas. 

"  I  wish  that  this  sail  had  a  few  hinges/'  Frank 
complained,  as  he  thumped  it  in  a  vain  endeavor 
to  roll  it  up  compactly.  "  Might  as  well  try  to 
roll  up  a  piece  of  plank." 

It  took  over  an  hour  to  get  things  stowed  prop 
erly  that  under  ordinary  circumstances  could 
have  been  disposed  of  in  fifteen  minutes;  and 
though  the  captain  firmly  intended  to  write  up 
his  log  that  night,  it  was  only  by  the  exercise  of 
116 


SAILING   WITH  FROZEN   RIGGING 

a  good  deal  of  will  power  that  he  kept  awake 
till  supper  was  over. 

The  following  day  the  "  Gazelle  "  lay  close  to 
the  levees  of  Natchez,  having  covered  the  dis 
tance  of  ninety- three  miles  in  less  than  a  day  and 
a  half. 

This  old  town  the  boys  thought  the  most  beau 
tiful  that  they  had  seen.  The  stately  old  man 
sions  were  surrounded  by  gardens,  and  trees  grew 
everywhere. 

The  town  crowned  the  last  of  the  heights  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  the  view  from  the  bluff  is 
one  of  the  finest  anywhere  along  the  river.  Be 
fore  starting  on  the  cruise  the  boys  had  read 
about  the  places  they  were  likely  to  visit,  and 
they  recalled  that  Natchez  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlements  on  the  river.  They  remembered,  too, 
that  the  Natchez  Indians,  perhaps  the  most  in 
telligent  of  their  race,  were  one  of  the  ten  first 
tribes  to  run  foul  of  the  white  man's  civilization. 
Swift  and  sure  pacification,  by  means  of  the 
sword,  was  their  lot. 

"  Natchez  under  the  hill,"  as  the  cluster  of 
houses  occupying  the  narrow  strip  of  land  be 
tween  the  river  and  the  steep  slope  is  called,  was 
as  unattractive  and  foul  as  Natchez  proper  was 
beautiful  and  wholesome.  Not  many  years  ago 
it  bore  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  hardest 
117 


A    YEAR  IN  A    JAWL 

places  on  the  Mississippi,  and  even  when  the  boys 
anchored  off  its  water  front,  they  found  it  far 
from  desirable. 

A  run  of  a  hundred  and  thirty-nine  miles  in 
three  days  brought  the  "  Gazelle  "  and  her  crew 
to  Baton  Rouge.  Though  the  wind  was  blowing 
hard  when  they  reached  the  town,  they  had  to 
be  content  with  the  meagre  shelter  of  a  few  scat 
tered  trees  on  a  low  point.  It  was  practically  an 
open  anchorage. 

"  Looks  squally/'  Arthur  remarked  as  he  tied 
the  last  stop  on  the  furled  mainsail.  "  How's  the 
glass?" 

"  Going  down  like  thunder,"  Ransom  an 
swered  from  below.  "  Thermometer  shows  15 
degs.  Gee,  I  hope  this  wind  lets  up." 

"  Shall  I  put  out  the  other  anchor?  "  the  mate 
inquired.  It  was  a  precaution  Kenneth  thought 
wise  to  take. 

"  I'll  bet  we  have  troubles  to  burn  to-night," 
the  skipper  said  half  to  himself,  as  he  lashed 
down  everything  movable  with  light  line  and 
rope  yarn. 

By  the  time  supper  was  finished,  the  wind 
was  howling  through  the  rigging  like  a  thousand 
demons.  The  little  ship  tugged  at  her  anchors, 
and  bobbed  up  and  down  over  seas  that  grew 
more  turbulent  each  moment. 
118 


SAILING   WITH   FROZEN   RIGGING 

The  usual  cheerful  talk,  jests  and  snatches  of 
songs  were  much  subdued,  or,  indeed,  entirely 
lacking  this  night.  Instead,  the  four  sat  and 
talked  abstractedly  with  lowered  voices,  and 
from  time  to  time,  the  talker  would  interrupt 
himself  to  listen  to  some  peculiarly  vicious  blast. 

The  light  of  the  pendent  lamp,  as  it  swung 
with  the  motion  of  the  boat,  cast  strange,  dis 
torted,  dancing  shadows,  and  the  boys  sat  close 
together  as  they  listened  to  the  howling  of  the 
wind.  They  were  not  afraid,  but  the  agitation  of 
the  elements,  the  wind,  the  cold,  and  the  con 
tinuous  jumping  and  staggering  motion  of  the 
yacht  sent  uncomfortable  chills  down  their 
spines. 

"  I'll  play  you  Pedro,"  Kenneth's  voice 
sounded  strangely  loud  in  the  cabin.  He  felt 
that  it  was  not  good  to  sit  still  and  listen  to  the 
tempest. 

The  table  was  propped  up,  and  the  cards 
dealt,  but  it  was  playing  under  difficulties — some 
one  had  to  keep  his  hand  on  the  cards  played  to 
make  them  stay  on  the  table.  The  boys'  hearts 
were  not  in  it,  and  they  made  absurd  mistakes. 
Kenneth  rallied  them,  and  tried  in  every  way  to 
steer  their  thoughts  away  from  the  danger,  the 
tempest  and  the  cold ;  but  in  spite  of  all  he  could 
do,  the  boys  stopped  playing  and  listened  with  all 
119 


A   JEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

their  ears.  The  hum  of  the  rigging,  the  slap  of 
the  waves  against  the  sides,  the  quick  snap-snap 
of  the  tight  drawn  halliards  against  the  masts — 
all  contributed  to  the  mighty  chorus  in  honor  of 
the  gale. 

Of  a  sudden  there  was  a  heavy  thud  and  then 
a  sliding  sound — a  sound  different  from  all  the 
other  voices  of  the  storm. 

"What  was  that?"  It  was  hard  to  tell 
wrhether  it  was  one  voice  or  four  that  uttered  the 
words.  The  boys  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  stood 
for  a  brief  moment  listening. 


120 


CHAPTEK  VIII 

AN  ICY  STORM  OFF    "  SUNNY  "    BATON  EOUGE 

On  the  alert  but  motionless,  the  four  boys 
waited  for  a  repetition  of  the  strange  noise,  won 
dering  what  it  meant.  The  wind  still  shrieked; 
all  the  pandemonium  of  sound  continued,  but  the 
queer  sound  was  not  repeated,  neither  was  the 
unusual  jar. 

Kenneth  was  the  first  to  move.  He  jumped 
to  the  companionway,  and  pushed  at  the  hinged 
doors  leading  on  deck,  but  they  did  not  move. 
Glued  with  the  frost,  they  refused  to  open.  He 
put  his  shoulder  against  them,  and  pushed  with 
all  his  might.  The  expected  happened — the 
doors  opened  suddenly,  and  Kenneth  found  him 
self  sprawling  on  the  floor  of  the  cockpit.  He 
skinned  his  shin  on  the  brass-bound  step  of  the 
companionway  ladder,  and  his  funny  bone 
tingled  from  a  blow  it  got  on  the  deck.  The 
boy  tried  to  rise  to  his  feet,  but  a  sudden  swing  of 
the  boat  made  him  slip  on  the  icy  boards  and  fall 
swiftly  down  again.  From  his  prone  position,  he 
121 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

looked  around  him.  The  light  coming  up 
through  the  open  companionway  gleamed  yellow 
on  the  ice-coated,  glistening  boom,  and  the  furled 
sail  propped  up  in  the  crotch.  As  Ransom's  eyes 
became  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  he  saw  what 
it  was-  that  had  startled  them  all.  "  His  Nibs," 
hauled  up  on  the  narrow  strip  of  deck  aft  of  the 
rudder  post,  had  slipped  when  the  "  Gazelle  " 
had  made  a  sudden  plunge,  and  sliding  on  the  icy 
rail  had  thumped  into  the  cockpit.  Perfectly 
safe,  but  ludicrously  out  of  place,  the  little  boat 
looked  like  a  big  St.  Bernard  in  a  lady's  lap. 

"Look!  "  the  prostrate  captain  called  to  his 
friends.  "  i  His  Xibs  '  was  getting  lonesome  and 
was  coming  down  into  the  cabin  for  the  sake  of 
sociability." 

The  other  three  crawled  on  deck,  having 
learned  caution  through  the  skipper's  mishap, 
and  crouched  in  the  wet,  slippery  cockpit  while 
they  looked  around. 

The  gale,  still  increasing  rather  than  abating, 
was  raising  tremendous  seas.  The  "  Gazelle  " 
rolled,  her  rails  under  at  times,  and  her  bowsprit 
jabbed  the  white-capped  waves. 

"  I  am  going  forward  to  see  if  the  anchors  are 
O.  K."     Kenneth  spoke  loudly  enough,  but  the 
wind  snatched  the  words  from  his  mouth  and  the 
boys  did  not  hear  what  he  said. 
122 


AN    ICY   STORM    OFF    "  SUNNY "    BATON    ROUGE 

Ransom  managed  to  get  on  his  feet,  and, 
grasping  the  beading  of  the  cabin,  he  pulled  him 
self  erect.  A  quick  lurch  almost  threw  him 
overboard,  but  he  reached  up  and  grabbed  the 
boom  overhead  just  in  time.  Holding  on  to  this 
with  both  arms,  he  slowly  worked  himself  for 
ward. 

The  other  boys,  crouching  in  the  cockpit,  won 
dered  what  he  was  up  to.  They  watched  his 
dim  figure  crawling  painfully  along,  and  once 
their  hearts  came  into  their  throats  as,  his  feet 
slipping  from  under  him,  he  hung  for  an  instant 
from  the  icy  boom  almost  directly  over  the  rag 
ing  river.  The  light  streaming  from  the  cabin 
shone  into  their  strained,  anxious  faces  and 
blinded  them  so  that  they  could  hardly  see  the 
figure  of  "  Ken,"  on  whom  they  had  learned  to 
rely.  At  last  he  disappeared  altogether  behind 
the  mast  and  was  swallowed  up  in  the  blackness. 

"Ken!  Comeback!  Comeback!"  Arthur, 
who  was  still  weak,  could  not  stand  the  strain;  he 
could  not  bear  to  think  of  what  might  happen  to 
his  friend. 

The  wind  shrieked  in  derision — so,  at  least,  it 
seemed  to  the  anxious  boy — the  elements  com 
bined  to  drown  his  voice.  The  gale  howled  on; 
the  rain  froze  as  it  fell,  and  the  waves  dashed  at 
the  boys  like  fierce  dogs  foaming  at  the  mouth. 
123 


A   YEAR   IX  A    YAWL 

Frank,  at  last  feeling  that  he  must  know  what 
had  become  of  Ransom,  sprang  up,  and  grasping 
the  icy  spar,  crept  forward.  Many  times  he  lost 
his  foothold,  but  always  managed  somehow  to 
catch  himself  in  time.  Slipping  and  sliding, 
fighting  the  gale,  he  reached  the  mast.  The 
journey  was  one  of  only  twenty  feet,  but  the  gale 
was  so  fierce  and  the  exertion  of  keeping  his  foot 
ing  so  great  that  he  arrived  at  the  end  of  it  out 
of  breath  and  almost  exhausted.  It  was  inky 
black,  and  only  with  difficulty  could  he  distin 
guish  the  familiar  objects  on  the  forecastle — the 
bitts,  and  the  two  rigid  anchor  cables  leading 
from  it.  Lying  across  them  was  Kenneth, 
gripping  one,  while  the  yacht's  bow  rose  and 
fell,  dashing  the  spray  clear  over  his  prostrate 
figure. 

"What's  the  matter,  Ken?"  Frank  shouted, 
so  as  to  be  heard  above  the  wind.  "  Are  you 
hurt?  Brace  up,  old  man!  " 

The  other  did  not  speak  for  a  minute ;  then  he 
answered  in  a  strained  voice :  "  Give  me  a  hand, 
old  chap,  will  you?  I've  hurt  my  .  foot — 
wrenched  it,  I  guess;  pains  like  blazes.7' 

That  he  was  pretty  badly  hurt,  Frank  guessed 
by  the  way  in  which  he  drew  in  his  breath  as  he 
shifted  his  position. 

"  Got  a  good  hold  there,  Frank?  Grab  those 
124 


AN    ICY   STORM    OFF    "SUNNY"    BATON    ROUGE 
halliards.     It's  terrible  slippery  —  Ouch! 


It  was  a  difficult  job  that  Frank  had  in  hand. 
The  ice-covered  decks  could  not  be  depended 
on  at  all;  if  the  boys  began  to  slide,  they  would 
slip  right  off  the  sloping  cabin  roof  into  the 
water;  the  boat  was  jumping  on  the  choppy  seas 
like  a  bucking  horse,  and  the  wind  blew  with 
hurricane  force.  Kenneth  could  help  himself 
hardly  at  all,  and  Frank  struggled  with  him  till 
the  sweat  stood  out  on  his  brow  in  great  beads. 
At  last  both  got  over  the  entangling  anchor 
cables,  and  breathing  hard,  hugged  the  stick  as 
if  their  lives  depended  on  it,  which  came  very 
near  being  the  case. 

"  You  —  had  —  better  —  leave  —  me  —  here  —  • 
old  —  chap,"  panted  Kenneth.  "  My  —  ankle  — 
hurts  —  like  —  the  —  old  —  Harry.  Can't  — 
travel  —  much." 

"What  did  you  do  to  it?" 

"  Got  —  caught  —  under  —  cleat  —  on  —  the 
butt  —  of  —  the  —  bowsprit." 

"  Gee  !  that's  tough  !  "  sympathized  Frank. 

"  Gave  it  a  terrible  wrench.  Regular  monkey 
wrench."  It  was  a  grim  situation  to  joke 
about. 

"  Leave  you  here  ?  "  said  Frank,  coming  back 
to  Ken's  suggestion.  "  I  guess  not  !  What  do 
125 


A    TEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

you  take  me  for,  anyway?  I  know  how  to  work 
it,  all  right.  You  hang  on  to  the  mast  a  min 
ute/' 

Releasing  his  grip  on  Eansom,  Chauvet 
picked  up  the  end  of  the  peak  halliard  coiled  at 
his  feet,  and  with  great  difficulty  straightened 
out  its  frozen  turns,  for  he  had  but  one  free 
hand — he  could  not  release  his  hold  on  the  sail- 
hoop  that  he  grasped  for  an  instant.  Taking  the 
stiff  line,  he  passed  it  around  his  body  and  then 
around  the  boom.  Holding  on  by  his  legs 
to  the  mast,  he  worked  away  at  the  frozen  line 
until  he  had  knotted  the  end  to  the  main  part — 
made  a  bowline.  The  loop  was  around  his 
waist  and  the  boom. 

"  Xow,  Ken,  we're  all  right — I  have  lashed 
myself  to  this  spar,  and  my  hands  are  free.  I'll 
yell  to  Clyde,"  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word 
he  shouted  aft. 

Ransom  hung  on  to  the  line  about  Frank's 
waist,  while  Frank  half  held,  half  supported  him. 
Slowly  they  moved  along,  stumbling,  often 
swinging  with  the  boat,  till  the  rope  cut  into 
Chauvet's  body  cruelly.  It  was  exhausting  work. 

Soon  Clyde  came  stumbling,  slipping  and 
fighting  forward  against  the  gale,  and  in  a  min 
ute  was  helping  Frank  to  support  the  gritty  cap 
tain. 

126 


AN   ICY   STORM    OFF    " UUNNY "    BATON    ROUGE 

It  was  a  thankful  group  that  dropped  into  the 
warm,  bright  cabin — dripping  wet  and  numbed 
with  cold,  out  of  breath,  well-nigh  exhausted, 
but  thankful  to  the  heart's  core. 

Arthur  cut  the  shoe  from  Ransom's  swelling 
ankle,  and  then  bound  it  tightly  with  a  cloth 
saturated  with  witch  hazel. 

"  Chasing  anchors  on  stormy  nights  seems  to 
be  fatal  for  me,"  Kenneth  remarked,  as  he  lay 
on  his  bunk  regarding  his  bandaged  foot.  "  I'll 
give  you  fellows  a  chance  next  time — I  don't 
want  to  be  piggish  about  it." 

Presently  the  cabin  light  was  turned  down  and 
all  hands  got  into  their  berths.  Not  a  tongue 
moved,  but  brains  were  active;  not  an  eyelid 
felt  heavy,  but  the  boys  resolutely  kept  them 
closed.  The  storm  raged  on;  gust  succeeded 
gust,  the  rain  beat  down  on  the  thin  cabin 
roof  with  increasing  fierceness.  It  was  a  try 
ing  night,  and  each  of  the  four  boys  was  glad 
enough  to  see  the  gray  light  come  stealing  in 
through  the  frosted  port  lights.  They  had 
all  thought  that  they  would  never  see  day 
light  again,  though  each  had  kept  his  fears  to 
himself. 

The  wind  still  roared  and  the  rain  poured 
down,  but  the  yacht  tossed  and  rolled  less  vio 
lently;  her  movements  were  slower  and  sluggish, 
127 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

quite  unlike  those  of  the  usually  sprightly,  light 
"  Gazelle." 

"  Sea  must  have  gone  down/'  commented 
Clyde,  in  a  casual  way,  as  he  noted  that  the  others 
were  awake.  "  Queer,  wind's  blowing  great 
guns,  too." 

Kenneth  sat  up  suddenly  and  bumped  his  head 
on  the  deck  beam  above.  This  made  him  wince, 
and  he  drew  his  game  foot  suddenly  against  the 
boat's  side.  Kenneth  made  so  wry  a  face  that 
his  friends  could  not  help  laughing  outright — 
an  honest  laugh,  in  spite  of  the  sympathy  they 
felt. 

"  Both  ends  at  once."  The  captain  tried  to 
rub  his  head  and  his  ankle  at  the  same  moment, 
and  found  it  a  good  deal  of  a  stretch. 

"  There  is  a  new  bar  to  be  charted  here."  His 
finger  went  gingerly  round  the  bump  on  his  fore 
head. 

"  Frank,  go  on  deck,  will  you,  and  see  if  things 
are  moderating.  I'd  like  to  get  into  some  cove 
or  another." 

Chauvet  made  his  way  to  the  ladder  and 
shoved  the  doors  with  all  his  might;  but  it  was 
only  after  repeated  blows  with  a  heavy  rope  fen 
der  that  they  opened. 

"Great  Scott!"  he  shouted.  "Look  here. 
Ice!  Why,  there's  no  boat  left — it's  all  ice! 
128 


AN    ICY    STORM    OFF    "  SUNNY "    BATON    ROUGE 

Well,  I'll  be  switched — why,  we'll  have  to  chop 
her  out,  or  she'll  sink  with  the  weight  of  it — 
she's  down  by  the  head  now." 

Fresh  exclamations  of  amazement  followed  as 
each  head  appeared  in  turn  from  below.  It  was 
true.  The  yacht  was  literally  covered  with  ice, 
from  one  to  six  inches  thick  at  the  bow,  where 
the  spray  combined  with  the  rain  to  add  to  the 
layers  of  white  coating.  The  sluggish  move 
ment  of  the  vessel  was  explained — the  weight  of 
the  ice  burdened  her.  Here  was  a  pleasing  con 
dition  of  things. 

The  boys  snatched  a  hasty  breakfast,  and  tak 
ing  hatchets,  hammers — anything  with  a  sharp 
edge — they  attacked  the  ice.  Even  Ransom  in 
sisted  upon  taking  a  hand.  The  boat  was  very 
beautiful  in  her  glassy  coating.  The  rigging, 
fringed  with  icicles,  and  the  cold,  gray  light 
shining  on  the  polished  surface,  made  it  look  like 
a  dull  jewel.  The  boys,  however,  saw  nothing 
of  the  beautiful  side  of  it.  There  was  a  mighty 
job  before  them;  a  cold,  hard,  dangerous  job,  and 
they  went  at  it  as  they  had  done  with  all  the  pre 
vious  difficulties  which  they  had  encountered— 
with  courage  and  energy. 

Colder  and  colder  it  grew,  until  the  thermome 
ter  registered  five  degrees  below  zero.    The  yacht 
still  rolled  and  pitched  so  that  the  boys  found  it 
9  129 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

necessary  to  lash  themselves  to  mast,  spars  and 
rigging  while  they  chopped.  The  spray  flew  up 
and  dashed  into  their  faces  and  almost  instantly 
froze;  the  sleeves  of  their  coats  became  as  hard 
and  as  stiff  as  iron  pipes,  and  their  hands  stiffened 
so  that  the  fingers  could  not  hold  the  axe  helves. 
Every  few  minutes  one  or  the  other  would  have 
to  stop,  go  below  and  thaw  out.  They  worked 
desperately,  but  new  layers  of  frost  formed  al 
most  as  fast  as  the  boys  could  hack  it  off.  But 
chop  and  shovel  they  must  or  sink  in  plain  sight 
of  the  town,  inaccessible  as  though  the  boat  were 
miles  from  shore. 

How  they  ever  lived  through  the  three  days 
during  which  the  storm  continued,  God,  who 
saved  them,  alone  knows.  It  seemed  almost  a 
miracle  that  so  small  a  craft  should  have  lived 
through  what  it  did. 

When  at  the  end  of  the  weary  time  the  wind 
subsided,  the  yacht  rode  over  the  choppy  waves 
in  much  the  same  buoyant  way  as  before — she 
was  weather  proof;  but  her  crew  was  utterly 
exhausted;  hands  and  faces  were  cut  and  bleed 
ing  from  the  fierce  onslaught  of  the  sleet-laden 
wind;  fingers,  toes  and  ears  were  frost-bitten,  in 
numerable  bruises — true  badges  of  honor — cov 
ered  their  bodies,  and  the  captain  suffered  intol 
erably  from  his  injured  ankle. 
130 


AN  ICY  STORM  OFF  "  SUNNY "  BATON  ROUGE 

"  Hours  chopping  ice  off  the  £  Gazelle  '  to  keep 
her  from  sinking  under  the  weight  of  it,"  quoted 
Kenneth  from  the  entry  in  his  log.  "  And  this 
in  the  heart  of  the  '  Sunny  South.' ' 

"  I  don't  believe  there  is  any  '  Sunny  South.7 ' 
Clyde  was  tired  out,  and  his  sentiments  expressed 
his  condition. 

"Remember  the  old  coon  at  Natchez?"  said 
Frank.  "  He  must  have  been  a  twin  of  Methu 
selah  ;  he  said  he  had  never  seen  ice  on  the  river 
so  far  south  before,  and  he  had  lived  on  the  Mis 
sissippi  all  his  life." 

It  was  many,  many  hours  before  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  was  free  enough  of  her  burden  to  allow 
the  crew  to  rest;  and  not  until  three  days  of  gale 
had  spent  its  spite  upon  them  could  she  be  got 
under  way  and  anchored  in  a  sheltered  spot. 

After  sending  reassuring  letters  to  anxious 
ones  at  home,  the  "  Gazelle  "  sped  southward, 
seeking  for  a  sheltered  spot  to  lie  by  and  allow 
the  ice  which  was  sure  to  follow  to  pass  by. 

At  the  little  town  of  St.  Gabriels  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  found  a  snug  nest,  where,  for  a  time,  the 
ice  ceased  from  troubling,  and  she  floated  secure. 

It  was  with  a  grateful  heart  that  Kenneth  rose 
on  Sunday  morning,  February  19th,  and  from 
the  safe  anchorage  saw  the  great  cakes  of  ice  go 
racing  by  on  the  swift  current. 
131 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

"  "We  can't  hold  a  service  aboard/'  he  said  to 
Arthur,  who  appeared  on  deck  about  the  same 
time.  "  But  let's  dress  ship  for  a  thanksgiving 
offering." 

All  four  agreed  with  alacrity,  and  for  the  next 
hour  scarcely  a  word  was  spoken  except  as  one 
fellow  sung  out,  "  Where  is  that  swab?  "  or  an 
other,  "  Who's  got  the  bath-brick?  "  Hardly  a 
day  passed  (except  when  the  boat  was  in  actual 
danger)  that  the  "  Gazelle  "  did  not  get  a  thor 
ough  cleaning — brasses  shined,  decks  scrubbed, 
cabin  scoured,  bedding  aired,  dishes  well  washed 
and  even  the  dishcloth  cleaned  and  spread  to  dry. 
But  this  was  a  special  day,  and  the  yacht  was  as 
sweet  within  as  soap  and  water,  elbow  grease  and 
determined  wills  could  make  her.  The  crown 
ing  of  the  work  came  when  the  "  Gazelle  "  was 
decked  in  her  colors;  the  flags  spelling  her  name 
in  the  international  code  fluttering  in  the  breeze, 
and  above  all  Old  Glory — surely  a  splendid  em 
blem  of  what  these  youngsters  gallantly  typified, 
American  perseverance,  pluck  and  enterprise. 
It  was  a  proud  crew  that  lined  up  on  the  bank  to 
admire  their  achievement,  and  their  hearts  were 
filled  with  gratitude  to  Providence  that  they  had 
been  brought  through  so  many  dangers  safely. 

"  Kin  I  hab  one  of  dese  yer  flags?  "  Some  one 
pulled  at  Kenneth's  sleeve,  and  he  looked  down 
132 


AN  ICY  STORM  OFF  "SUNNY"  BATON  ROUGE 

into  a  small,  black,  kinky-hair  framed  face.  It 
was  a  little  pickaninny,  scantily  clad  and  shiver 
ing  in  the  keen  air. 

"  What  do  you  want  it  for?  " 

Embarrassment  showed  on  every  shining  fea 
ture  of  the  little  face. 

"  Fob. — fob  a  crazy  quilt,"  she  managed  to  say 
at  last. 

Ransom  could  not  spare  one  of  his  flags,  but  he 
dug  into  a  locker  and  pulled  out  a  piece  of  red 
flannel  (a  token  of  his  mother's  thoughtfulness) 
which  pleased  the  black  youngster  almost  as 
much.  The  visits  of  the  darky  population  were 
frequent  that  day,  and  the  many  requests  for 
"  one  of  doze  flags  "  suggested  the  thought  that 
the  first  black  youngster  had  spread  the  news 
that  the  ship's  company  could  be  worked. 

Two  days  later  the  ice  had  almost  disappeared 
and  the  "  Gazelle  "  left  her  snug  berth  for  the 
last  stretch  of  her  journey  to  the  Crescent  City. 
The  delay  seemed  to  add  to  the  yacht's  eagerness 
to  be  gone,  for  she  sped  on  her  way  like  a  horse 
on  its  first  gallop  after  a  winter  in  the  stable. 

On,  on  she  flew,  drawing  nearer  to  her  goal, 
scarred  from  contact  with  ice,  snags  and  sand 
bars,  but  still  unhurt,  triumphant.  Surely  the 
sun  was  rewarding  their  persistence;  for  he  no 
longer  hid  his  face  from  them,  but  shone  out  in 
133 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

all  mellowness  and  geniality.  Their  worries  fled 
at  his  warm  touch,  and  their  hearts  sang  his 
praises. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  seemed  glad  as  she  forged 
ahead,  as  if  to  say,  "  Hurrah !  I  have  conquered, 
I  have  stood  old  Mississippi's  bumps  and  jars! 
All  these  are  of  the  past,  and  now  for  Old 
Ocean!" 

Light  after  light  was  passed  and  marked  off  on 
the  list,  and  soon  the  last  one  shone  out.  It  had 
no  name,  so  as  they  lustily  gave  three  cheers  for 
the  last  of  the  little  beacons  which  had  so  long 
been  their  guides  and  dubbed  it  "  Omega,"  the 
"  Gazelle  "  sped  on  with  only  the  smoke  of  the 
great  cotton  market  as  a  guide.  Xew  Orleans 
was  in  sight. 

The  pillars  of  smoke — the  smoke  of  the  city 
of  their  dreams — led  them  on.  They  could 
hardly  realize  that  that  dim  cloud,  that  dark 
streak  in  the  distance  was  really  the  city  which 
they  had  striven  so  hard  to  reach. 

A  feeling  of  great  satisfaction  came  over  them 
as  the  "  Gazelle  "  responded  to  the  tiller,  which 
was  thrown  hard  down,  and  headed  into  the  wind. 
A  few  flaps  of  the  sails  in  the  evening  breeze,  the 
sudden  splash  of  the  anchor  forward,  followed 
by  the  swir  of  the  cable  as  it  ran  through  the 
chocks,  and  the  creaking  pulleys  as  the  sails  were 
184 


AN  ICY  STORM  OFF  "  SUNNY "  BATON  ROUGE 

lowered,  was  the  music  in  honor  of  the  "  Ga 
zelle's  "  successful  voyage  from  far  away  Michi 
gan  to  New  Orleans. 

The  trip  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred  miles 
had  been  full  of  incident  and  some  satisfaction, 
purchased,  however,  at  the  price  of  severe  toil 
and  many  hardships,  with  a  decided  preponder 
ance  of  troubles  over  pleasures.  Sickness  had 
visited  the  crew  at  a  time  when  their  location 
made  medical  aid  impossible;  the  most  severe 
winter  recorded,  accompanied  with  the  ice  packs 
and  low  stages  of  water,  made  it  seem  many  times 
as  if  all  hands  were  indeed  candidates  for  admis 
sion  into  the  realms  of  "  Davy  Jones's  locker." 
But  all  this  was  now  of  the  past;  for  here  was  the 
"  Gazelle  "  anchored  in  a  snug  cove  in  the  out 
skirts  of  the  Southern  metropolis  safe  and  sound, 
the  captain  and  crew  strong,  well,  happy,  and  in 
all  ways  improved  by  their  struggles. 

The  sun  was  still  two  hours  high  when  Ken 
neth  and  Frank  rowed  ashore  in  "  His  Mbs  "  and 
scrambled  up  the  steep  side  of  the  high  levee 
which  protects  the  city  from  inundation. 

As  they  looked  back  on  the  "  Gazelle  "  so 
peacefully  riding  at  her  anchorage,  they  felt  like 
giving  three  lusty  cheers  for  their  floating  home. 
Beyond  the  yacht  and  moored  at  the  docks  were 
two  immense  ocean-going  steamships,  while  a 
135 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

short  distance  up  the  river  was  a  full-rigged  ship 
with  loosened  canvas  falling  in  graceful  folds 
from  the  yards.  The  scene  was  a  pleasing  one, 
and  the  two  boys  drank  it  in  with  all  their  eyes; 
they  loved  the  sea,  and  these  monster  boats  had 
a  peculiar  charm  for  them.  But  the  "  clang, 
clang  "  of  a  bell  suddenly  awakened  them  from 
their  reverie,  and  they  started  in  all  haste  to  get 
down  town  for  the  mail  they  knew  must  be  wait 
ing. 

The  anchorage  was  at  Carrollton,  one  of  the 
suburbs  of  New  Orleans,  so  the  boys  had  a  splen 
did  opportunity  of  seeing  the  city  on  their  long 
trolley-car  journey  to  the  main  Post  Office.  The 
batch  of  mail  that  was  handed  out  to  them  glad 
dened  their  hearts,  and  it  took  considerable  reso 
lution  to  refrain  from  camping  right  out  on  the 
Post  Office  steps  and  reading  their  letters.  They 
remembered,  however,  their  promise  to  Arthur 
and  Clyde  to  bring  back  with  them  the  where 
withal  to  make  a  feast  in  honor  of  their  safe 
arrival  in  the  Crescent  City. 

"  Gee !  I'd  like  to  know  what's  in  those  let 
ters."  Frank  gazed  at  them  longingly  as  they 
walked  along.  "  Look  at  the  fatness  of  that, 
will  you?" 

"  I've  got  a  fatness  myself,"  retorted  Ken 
neth,  holding  a  thick  letter  bearing  several 
136 


AN   ICY   STORM    OFF    "  SUNNY "    BATON    ROUGE 

stamps.  "  We  have  just  about  time  enough  to 
buy  some  truck  and  get  back.  What  do  you  say 
to  some  oysters? " 

"  That  goes/'  was  Frank's  hearty  endorse 
ment. 

Oysters  were  cheap,  they  found,  so  they 
bought  a  goodly  supply,  and  for  want  of  a  better 
carrier  put  them  in  a  stout  paper  bag. 

The  two  boys  started  out  bravely,  with  the  bag 
of  oysters  between  them,  each  carrying  a  bundle 
of  papers  and  mail  under  their  arms.  They  saw 
many  things  that  interested  them — quaint  old 
buildings  with  balconies  and  twisted  ironwork, 
and  numbers  of  picturesque,  dark-skinned  peo 
ple  wearing  bright  colors  wherever  it  was  pos 
sible. 

Frank  and  Kenneth  were  so  interested  in 
watching  what  was  going  on  about  them — the 
people,  the  buildings,  and  all  the  hundred  and 
one  things  that  would  interest  a  Northern  boy  in 
a  Southern  city — that  they  forgot  all  about  the 
load  of  oysters  till  they  noticed  that  the  people 
who  met  and  passed  them  were  smiling  broadly. 

"  Have  I  got  a  smudge  on  my  nose,  Frank?  " 
asked  Kenneth,  trying  vainly  to  squint  down  that 
member. 

"  No.     Have  I?  "     Frank's  answer  and  ques 
tion  came  in  the  same  breath. 
137 


A   YEAR  IN  A    JAWL 

"  Well,  what  in  thunder  are  these  people 
grin-  -" 

There  was  a  soft  tearing  sound,  and  then  a  hol 
low  rattle.  The  boys  looked  down  quickly  and 
saw  that  the  damp  oysters  had  softened  the  paper 
so  that  the  bag  no  longer  held  them,  and  they 
were  falling,  leaving  a  generous  trail  behind 
them. 

Frank  and  Kenneth  scratched  their  heads; 
there  were  no  shops  near  at  hand,  the  bag  was  no 
earthly  use,  they  were  a  long  way  from  the  an 
chorage,  and  the  oysters  were  much  too  precious 
to  be  abandoned. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  tying  up  the  sleeves 
of  this  old  coat  and  making  a  bag  of  it?  "  Frank's 
inventive  brain  was  beginning  to  work. 

"  That's  all  right,  if  you  don't  object,"  was  the 
reply. 

An  hour  later  two  boys,  one  of  them  in  his 
shirt  sleeves,  came  stumbling  along  in  the  dusk 
toward  the  levee  near  which  the  "  Gazelle  "  was 
anchored. 

"  '  Gazelle  '  ahoy!  "  they  hailed.  "  Have  you 
got  room  for  a  bunch  of  oysters  and  a  couple  of 
appetites?  " 

Evidently  there  was  plenty  of  room,  for  "  His 
ISTibs  "  came  rushing  across  to  take  all  three  over, 
the  "  bunch  of  oysters  "  and  the  "  two  appetites  " 
138 


AN   ICY   STORM    OFF    "SUNNY"    BATON    ROUGE 

to  the  yacht,  where  they  found  two  more  appe 
tites  eagerly  waiting  their  coming. 

Hansom  and  his  friends  had  planned  to  stay 
but  ten  days  in  New  Orleans;  just  time  enough  to 
put  in  a  new  mast  and  refit  generally  for  the  long 
sea  voyage  before  them.  Their  good  intentions, 
however,  were  balked  at  every  turn.  The  par 
ents  of  all  the  boys,  except  Ransom's,  besought 
them  to  return;  made  all  sorts  of  inducements  to 
persuade  them  to  give  up  the  trip;  did  every 
thing,  in  fact,  except  actually  command  them.  A 
death  in  Clyde's  family  made  it  imperative  that 
he  should  go  back,  and  it  grieved  the  boys  to  have 
him  leave.  Clyde  was  as  disappointed  as  any; 
and  as  he  boarded  the  train  to  go  North  he  said : 
"  I'd  give  a  farm  to  be  coming  instead  of  going." 

The  crew  was  now  reduced  to  three,  and  Ran 
som  feared  that  Clyde's  return  would  influence 
the  others  and  break  up  the  cruise. 

The  letters  to  Frank  and  Arthur  grew  more 
and  more  insistent,  until  one  day  Chauvet  came 
to  Ransom.  "  Ken,"  said  he,  "  this  is  getting 
pretty  serious.  My  people  come  as  near  saying 
that  they'll  disown  me  if  I  don't  come  back  as 
they  can  without  actually  writing  the  words.  I 
want  to  go  the  rest  of  the  way  and  play  the  whole 
game,  and  it  would  be  a  low  down  trick  to  leave 
you  stranded  here  without  a  crew." 
139 


A    YEAR  IN   A    YAWL 

"  Well,"  said  Kenneth,  as  he  sat  down  by 
Frank's  side  on  the  levee  in  the  warm  sunshine, 
"you'll  have  to  do  as  you  think  best,  but — I 
never  told  you  that  my  father  and  mother  offered 
me  their  house  if  I  would  give  up  the  trip,  did 
I?" 

Frank  opened  his  eyes  at  this. 

"  No,  I  didn't,  but  it's  a  fact;  and  when  I  told 
them  that  I  didn't  have  to  be  paid  to  stay  and 
would  not  go  if  they  felt  so  strongly  about  it, 
they  came  right  around  and  said,  '  Go,  and  God 
bless  you.5 ' 

Kenneth's  eyes  moistened  a  little  as  he  harked 
back  to  the  time,  and  a  vivid  picture  of  his  far 
away  Northern  home  arose  before  him.  "  Well, 
old  chap,"  he  continued,  laying  his  hand  on 
Frank's  knee,  "  they  have  been  with  me  heartily 
ever  since,  and  I  believe  that  your  people  would 
feel  the  same  about  you  and  be  proud  of  your 
pluck,  too." 

The  two  looked  each  other  in  the  eyes  a  min 
ute — one  fair,  the  other  dark — utterly  dissimilar 
in  appearance,  but  both  possessed  of  indomitable 
will  and  courage — then  Frank's  hand  slowly 
sought  that  of  his  friend  and  gripped  it  hard. 

"  Ken,  I'm  with  you." 

"  Good,"  was  the  other's  only  answer. 

Arthur's  decision  was  soon  made  when  he 
140 


AN   /OF   STORM    OFF    "  SUNNY "    J5A2W 

found  that  Kenneth  and  Frank  had  determined 
to  put  it  through.  The  three  were  knit  together 
in  a  bond  of  fellowship  hard  to  break. 

The  equinoctial  storms  were  raging  through 
the  Gulf  at  this  period,  and  the  boys  made  good 
use  of  the  time  to  buy,  shape,  and  put  in  place  a 
new  mainmast;  to  tighten  up  the  rigging  and 
repaint  the  boat's  sides,  covering  up  the  scars 
made  by  the  inhospitable  river.  "  His  Islbs  " 
was  also  refitted,  so  tihat  the  staunch  little  craft 
looked  like  new,  and  was  much  admired.  The 
boys  rambled  all  over  the  old  city,  from  the 
above-surface,  tomb-like  cemetery,  to  the  lively 
Creole  quarter.  Ransom  visited  many  ships  in 
port  and  studied  the  lines  and  construction  of 
ocean-going  vessels,  river  craft  and  lugger  fish 
ing  boats.  All  sorts  of  craft  congregated  at  this 
harbor  for  all  kinds  of  purposes — for  cotton,  for 
sugar,  for  every  sort  of  commodity,  in  fact,  even 
down  to  mules.  Ransom  watched  them  all, 
went  aboard  some  and  talked  with  the  mates  and 
engineers.  His  intelligent  questions  won  him 
courteous,  thoughtful  answers.  He  took  notes, 
made  sketches,  and  in  every  way  possible  took 
advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  fit  himself  for 
his  life's  work. 

At  last,  on  the  first  of  May,  1899,  the  storms 
having  passed,  the  "  Gazelle  "  being  as  fit  and 
141 


A   TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

trim  as  a  boat  could  be,  the  crew  bade  good-by 
to  the  many  friends  they  had  made,  cast  off  from 
their  moorings  and  started  for  the  salt  sea. 

For  two  days  they  sailed  through  the  delta  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  then  entered  that  dangerous 
short  cut  to  the  Gulf,  Cubit's  Gap — a  passage 
flanked  on  either  side  by  shoals  which  even  the 
"  Gazelle  "  could  not  sail  over.  It  was  lined  by 
the  skeletons  of  wrecked  vessels,  and  made  the 
boys  hesitate  a  little  before  taking  the  risk. 
But  "  nothing  venture  nothing  gained,"  they 
thought,  and  a  successful  venture  meant  almost 
a  hundred  miles  gained. 

The  weather  conditions  were  good  and  the 
vote  was  unanimous  in  favor  of  trying;  so,  on 
reaching  the  cut,  the  "  Gazelle  "  turned  to  port 
and  entered  the  dangerous  channel. 

"Good-by,  old  Mississippi!"  Kenneth  said, 
half  aloud.  "  We  are  ocean  bound  at  last." 

It  was  all  done  very  quickly,  and  never  a  feel 
ing  of  reluctance  came  over  them  as  they  care 
fully  picked  their  way  among  the  shoals  of  the 
pass. 

The  run  through  the  sand  point,  which  the 
current  of  the  river  has  forced  out  into  the  Gulf, 
was  some  six  miles  long.  By  careful  sailing  the 
"  Gazelle  "  ran  this  distance  without  mishap;  and 
then  spread  out  before  her  was  the  great  Gulf 
143 


AN  ICT  STORM  OFF  "  SUNNY "  BATON  ROUGE 

of  Mexico!  Ahead  for  several  miles  was  the 
shallow  shoal.  Debris  of  every  kind  surrounded 
them.  Everything  was  so  lonesome.  Not  a  sail 
in  sight  or  anything  to  make  them  feel  that  the 
world  was  peopled. 

A  flock  of  sea  birds  rose  from  the  water,  and, 
with  a  peculiar  cry,  flew  far  away  as  if  fright 
ened  by  a  sight  seldom  seen,  and  for  a  moment 
made  it  seem  as  if  they  were  "  alone  on  a  wide, 
wide  sea." 

The  sea  was  calm,  so,  taking  a  sounding  pole 
aboard  "  His  Nibs,"  Frank,  with  chart  before 
him,  measured  the  depth.  The  "  Gazelle,"  under 
shortened  sail,  followed  slowly  in  his  wake,  often 
luffing  quickly  to  avoid  a  bar,  and  surely,  though 
slowly,  winding  her  way.  So  intricate  did  the 
path  become  at  times  that  it  was  necessary  for 
them  to  cast  anchor  and  explore  ahead  for  depths 
sufficient  to  float  the  yacht,  but  at  last,  just  as 
the  sun  was  sinking  in  the  distant  west,  their  la 
bors  were  rewarded  by  success,  for  careful  sail 
ing  and  constant  sounding  were  necessary,  but  at 
last  the  cheery  cry  of  "  No  bottom,"  came  from 
their  pilot  ahead,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
staunch  "  Gazelle  "  was  gliding  along  on  the 
long,  rolling  surface  of  the  open  Gulf,  afloat  at 
last  on  the  great  salt  sea. 


143 


CHAPTEE  IX 

ON   SALT   WATER  AT   LAST 

"  Hurrah  for  the  sea;  the  blue,  salt  sea;  the  sea 
that  we  strove  to  reach!  "  shouted  Kenneth  at 
the  top  of  his  voice. 

"  Hurrah !  "  shouted  the  other  two  boys,  and 
all  three  clasped  hands  and  danced  about  in  glee. 

"  Isn't  this  worth  working  for?  "  inquired  the 
captain,  as  he  swept  his  hand  round,  tracing  the 
horizon  line. 

Off  in  the  distance  lay  the  Bird  Islands,  and 
still  further  the  Breton  Islands  showed  faint  and 
hazy  in  the  fast  deepening  dusk.  The  wind  was 
a  mere  caressing  zephyr,  and  the  sea  rolled  in 
good-naturedly,  soothingly,  even. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  this,  boys  ?  Let's 
anchor  here.  Heave  the  lead,  Frank,  and  see 
if  it's  all  right," 

Frank  reached  under  the  cockpit  seat  and  took 

from  its  rack  the  lead  and  line.     "  Aye,  aye,  sir," 

he  answered,  in  mock  servility.       Hooking  his 

left  arm  round  the  port  stays,  he  stood  on  the  rail, 

144 


ON  SALT  WATER  AT  LAST 

the  long  strip  of  lead  dangling  from  his  right 
hand;  the  left  hand  held  the  coil  of  line.  For  a 
minute  he  stood  poised  there  while  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  curtseyed  her  acknowledgments  to  the 
long  swells,  a  picturesque  figure  silhouetted 
against  the  warm  glow  of  the  setting  sun.  Then 
he  began  to  swing  his  right  arm  slowly  and  stead 
ily,  the  lead  just  clearing  the  water.  When  it 
was  swinging  well  forward  he  let  it  go,  and  as  the 
line  slipped  through  his  fingers  he  watched  for 
the  bits  of  colored  cloth  that  indicated  the  depth. 
Down,  down  it  went,  until  all  but  the  leather 
strips  had  disappeared  in  the  water.  Then  the 
line  slackened,  and  the  leadsman  knew  that  bot 
tom  had  been  reached.  Beginning  to  pull  in 
the  line  Frank  shouted,  "  Three  fathoms !  " 

"Stand  by!  Let  go  your  anchor!  "  ordered 
Kenneth,  as  soon  as  Frank  had  reeled  in  the  lead 
line. 

"Let  her  go!" 

There  was  a  splash,  then  a  hum  and  swish  of 
heavy  rope  as  the  anchor  cable  whipped  through 
the  chocks. 

"  Let  go  your  mizzen  halliards!  "  The  creak 
of  the  blocks  told  that  the  order  had  been 
obeyed.  Arthur  let  the  jigger  go  at  the  same 
time.  For  a  few  minutes  not  a  word  was  spoken 
— all  the  mouths  were  full  of  cotton  rope — 
10  145 


A    TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

"  stops "  —while  the  hands  were  busy  tightly 
rolling  the  sails.  The  jib  was  furled  up  at  last, 
and  not  till  the  anchor  light  was  set  glowing, 
hung  from  the  triced-up  jib  four  or  five  feet 
above  the  deck,  did  the  four  boys  have  time  to 
lay  off  and  enjoy  the  situation.  They  were  sur 
prised  to  see  how  dark  it  was.  Only  a  minute 
ago  it  seemed  that  the  sky  was  alight  and  full  of 
color;  but  now  only  a  faint  soft  glow  remained 
as  a  reminder  that  they  were  near  the  tropics 
where  the  sun  drops  out  of  sight  while  still  glow 
ing. 

Arthur  and  Kenneth  lay  on  their  backs  on  the 
cabin  roof,  while  Frank  went  below  to  get  sup 
per.  Both  boys  murmured  their  content.  They 
were  a  little  tired,  for  the  navigation  of  Cubit's 
Gap  had  been  a  strain  on  the  nerves  and  had 
necessitated  more  or  less  violent  exertion.  The 
air  was  warm  and  restful ;  the  motion  of  the  boat 
was  like  the  easy  rocking  of  a  cradle,  the  most 
delightful  motion  on  earth;  the  stars  were  just 
beginning  to  show  themselves,  and  the  mast  of 
the  boat  seemed  to  point  them  out  one  by  one  as 
she  swung  to  and  fro.  Suddenly  there  was  a 
slight  splash  alongside  and  a  long-drawn,  vocif 
erous  sigh. 

"What  was  that?"  Arthur  said,  sitting  up 
quickly,  with  a  startled  look  on  his  face. 
146 


ON   SALT   WATER   AT  LAST 

"  I  don't  know/'  Kansom  confessed,  rubbing 
his  eyes;  "  queer,  wasn't  it?  " 

Frank's  clatter  as  he  made  ready  the  supper 
were  the  only  sounds. 

"Listen!" 

Again  the  long  sigh.  It  seemed  to  come  from 
the  very  heart  of  some  one  in  intense  pain. 

Both  boys  jumped  up,  and  Arthur  called  soft 
ly  to  Frank  to  come  on  deck.  Then  all  three 
leaned  over  the  side,  looking  eagerly  for  the  soul 
in  torment.  They  half  expected  to  see  a  white 
upturned  face  showing  against  the  dark  water. 
Again  the  sound  of  escaping  breath.  The  boys 
looked  in  the  direction  from  whence  it  came  and 
saw,  not  the  white  face  of  a  drowning  woman, 
nor  anything  else  of  a  like  romantic  nature,  but 
the  black,  glistening  hide  of  a  huge  porpoise,  as 
it  leisurely  humped  its  back  and  disappeared  be 
low  the  surface. 

"Phew!  but  that  scared  me,"  remarked  Ar 
thur.  "  Thought  somebody  was  in  trouble, 


sure." 


"  The  laugh  is  on  us,  all  right,"  Kenneth  said; 
but  he  shivered  slightly  in  remembrance  of  the 
strange  sound.  "  How's  supper,  Frank?  I'm 
hungry  enough  to  eat  half  that  porpoise." 

It  was  a  merry  party  that  sat  down  to  the  meal 
of  oysters,  which  had  been  given  to  them  by 
147 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

their  fishermen  friends;  spuds,  as  the  boys  called 
the  potatoes;  coffee,  bread,  without  butter,  and 
a  treasured  pie,  rather  the  worse  for  wear,  but 
keenly  relished  for  all  that.  What  was  left  of 
the  meal  would  not  have  satisfied  a  bird,  and  the 
dish-washing  that  night  wras  an  easy  job. 

All  three  of  the  boys  felt  that  their  fun  was 
really  only  just  beginning.  The  cruise  down 
the  Mississippi  seemed  like  a  nightmare  as  they 
looked  back  upon  it.  Cold,  unending  exertion, 
sickness  and  imminent  danger,  coupled  with  a 
necessity  for  great  economy,  had  taken  all  the 
zest  out  of  the  enjoyment  they  might  have  had. 

Something  has  been  said  about  Ransom's 
financial  condition;  the  same  thing  was  true  of 
the  other  boys.  Clyde  and  Arthur  hoped  and 
expected  to  make  some  money  along  the  way  to 
help  pay  expenses,  as  did  Kenneth  and  Frank; 
but  fortune  was  against  them  arid  they  had  to 
get  along  as  best  they  could  on  the  small  sums 
they  possessed.  From  St.  Louis  to  Xew  Orleans, 
taking  in  all  expenses,  including  extra  oil  needed 
to  keep  from  freezing,  medicines  and  extra 
nourishing  food  for  the  invalid  Arthur,  the 
total  cost  per  week  per  boy  was  a  dollar  and  a 
half. 

It  was    no    wonder,    then,    that    the    three 
thought  that  a  happier  time  was  coming-.     Smil- 
148 


ON  SALT   WATER  AT  LAST 

ing,  sunny  skies  above  them,  clear,  buoyant,  salt 
water  under  them,  a  tried  and  true  ship  their 
home,  and  a  ship's  company  that  could  be  abso 
lutely  relied  upon.  What  more  was  to  be  de 
sired? 

The  night  was  divided  into  four  watches  of 
four  hours  each,  and  Kenneth  went  on  deck  to 
take  the  first  trick  from  eight  to  twelve. 

And  so  the  young  fresh- water  sailors  passed  the 
first  night  on  the  briny  deep.  A  peaceful,  rest 
ful,  invigorating  night,  that  marked  the  begin 
ning  of  a  new  series  of  experiences. 

Arthur  went  on  at  midnight  (eight  bells),  and 
Frank,  in  turn,  relieved  Arthur  at  four  o'clock 
(eight  bells  of  the  morning  watch).  It  was 
Frank,  then,  who  put  his  head  into  the  after 
hatch  and  roused  "  all  hands  "  at  six  o'clock, 
which  Arthur  and  Kenneth  called  an  unholy 
hour. 

"I  wonder  if  there  are  any  sharks  around?" 
said  Arthur,  as  he  stood  on  the  dew- wet  deck 
looking  overboard.  "Gee!  that  water  looks 
tempting.  Here  goes!  "  Almost  with  a  single 
sweep  of  his  hands  he  had  pulled  off  his  duck 
jumper  and  trousers,  and  the  last  words  ended  in 
a  gurgle  as  he  hit  the  water. 

"  Beat  you  in,"  was  Frank's  only  comment  to 
Kenneth,  who  came  on  deck  that  minute.  It 
149 


A   TEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

was  a  dead  heat.  As  for  sharks,  the  thought  of 
them  did  not  enter  the  heads  of  the  three  boys, 
as  they  ducked  and  dove,  splashed  and  swam, 
shouted  and  squealed,  with  pure  delight.  It 
would  have  upset  the  equilibrium  of  any  self- 
respecting  shark;  at  any  rate,  none  made  their 
appearance  that  day. 

It  was  a  very  airy  costume  that  the  crew  wore 
that  morning  while  they  scrubbed  down  decks, 
coiled  down  tackle,  cleaned  out  "  His  Nibs,"  and 
put  the  little  ship  to  rights  generally. 

Kenneth  and  Arthur  got  the  "  Gazelle  "  un 
der  way,  while  Frank  went  below  to  get  break 
fast.  The  course  was  shaped  for  Biloxi,  Missis 
sippi,  and  the  yacht  settled  down  to  the  two  days' 
run.  The  wind  was  fair  and  true,  and  the  yacht, 
spreading  out  her  wings,  sped  between  the 
many  islands  that  dotted  the  waters,  and  picked 
her  way  through  the  intricate  channels  daintily. 
They  anchored  off  Barrell  Key  that  night,  and 
made  the  acquaintance  of  two  fishermen — Aus- 
trians — whose  lugger  was  anchored  close  by. 
The  boys  accepted  their  invitation  to  fish  with 
them  next  morning,  and  while  they  did  little 
more  than  contribute  considerable  looking  on, 
they  got  a  good  mess  of  fish.  These  Frank 
speedily  turned  into  an  appetizing  breakfast,  the 
incense  from  which  was  still  rising  when  the 
150 


ON  SALT   WATER  AT  LAST 

boys  bid  their  fishermen  friends  good-by.  In 
a  very  short  time  the  mast  of  the  lugger  had 
dwindled  to  a  matchstick,  and  the  swift,  rakish 
little  hull  disappeared  below  the  horizon. 

It  was  just  dark  enough  to  make  it  difficult 
to  distinguish  the  channel  marks  when  they 
reached  Biloxi  Harbor,  but  the  "  mud  hook " 
was  dropped  in  a  safe  place,  and  Frank  and  Ken 
neth  went  ashore  to  look  for  mail  and  to  tele 
graph  home  the  news  of  their  safe  arrival.  They 
had  been  unable  to  send  word  for  the  better  part 
of  a  week,  and  the  loss  last  year,  about  the  same 
time,  of  the  "Paul  Jones,"  a  large  launch,  in  the 
waters  through  which  the  "  Gazelle  "  had  navi 
gated  so  serenely,  would,  the  boys  knew,  make 
their  parents  dread  this  part  of  the  cruise.  It 
was  partly  a  feeling  of  triumph,  partly  a  desire  to 
relieve  anxiety,  that  Kenneth  experienced  when 
he  hurried  to  wire  home. 

The  teredo,  that  terrible  little  insect  that 
turns  the  bottoms  of  vessels  into  sieves,  and  un 
dermines  the  woodwork  of  wharves  in  Southern 
waters,  was  very  much  on  the  mind  (metaphori 
cally,  of  course)  of  the  young  captain.  He  had 
no  desire  to  feed  the  staunch  "  Gazelle  "  to  the 
voracious  little  borer.  Many  times  he  had  been 
warned  to  copper  paint  the  bottom  of  the  yacht, 
and,  though  he  dreaded  the  job,  the  sooner 
151 


A    YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

it  was  done  the  better.  A  sloping  sand  beach  lay 
to  one  side  of  Biloxi,  and  onto  this  the  "  Gazelle  " 
was  hauled  at  high  tide,  her  ballast  unloaded, 
and  as  the  water  fell  she  careened  to  one  side. 
The  starboard  side  was  exposed  first,  and  to  the 
delight  and  satisfaction  of  Kenneth  and  his 
friends,  there  was  hardly  a  scratch  in  the  clear, 
hard  wood.  All  hands  immediately  fell  to  work 
scraping  off  the  marine  growth,  that  had  formed. 
It  was  a  three  hours'  job,  but  when  it  was  finished 
the  boys  felt  so  virtuous  that  satisfaction  stuck 
out  like  the  paint  on  their  faces.  "  Pride  com- 
eth  before  a  fall,"  but  the  oyster  shell  cut  which 
Kenneth's  foot  received,  seemed  to  him  a  fall  en 
tirely  out  of  proportion  to  the  pride. 

Invincible  to  the  terrible  teredo,  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  sailed  out  of  Biloxi  Harbor  bound  for  Mo 
bile.  She  reached  her  destination  the  same  day, 
just  as  the  sunset  gun  of  Fort  Morgan  boomed 
out,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  came  fluttering 
down  its  staff. 

The  "  Gazelle's  "  ensign  came  down  at  the 
same  instant.  "  You  see,  we  are  recognized," 
Kenneth  remarked  airily,  as  he  waved  his  hand 
in  the  direction  of  the  cloud  of  gunpowder  smoke 
that  still  hovered  over  the  muzzle  of  the  old 
smooth-bore. 

There  was  some  discussion  as  to  who  should 
153 


O.Y   SALT   WATER   AT  LAST 

go  ashore  and  inspect  the  fort — the  grassy  slope 
that  led  up  to  the  massive,  red-gray  pile  was  very 
inviting — but  eventually  the  strands  of  rope 
yarn  decided  for  them  that  Kenneth  should  not 
go.  Whereupon  he  declared  that  he  ought  not 
to  walk  on  his  injured  foot,  any  way.  After 
rowing  close  in  to  the  grassy  ramparts  of  the  fort 
ress,  Frank  and  Arthur  decided  that  they  did  not 
care  to  visit  it  either.  Whether  Uncle  Sam's 
soldier,  who  paced  along  close  to  the  water  and 
carried  a  gun,  had  anything  to  do  with  their  sud 
den  change  of  plan,  is  not  for  the  writer  to  say, 
but  Eansom  noticed  that  the  two  would-be  visi 
tors  seemed  to  be  disinclined  to  talk  about  the 
matter. 

The  fishing  was  so  good  in  Mobile  Bay  that  the 
boys  could  literally  stand  at  their  hearthstone  (if 
a  boat  can  be  said  to  have  a  hearthstone — galley 
hatch  would  be  more  correct),  and  catch  their 
breakfast.  If  they  could  have  been  satisfied  to 
live  on  fish  alone,  life  would  have  been  too  easy. 

"  We  will  grow  scales  if  we  eat  much  more 
fish,"  said  Kenneth,  the  last  day  of  their  stay  in 
Mobile  Bay. 

"  That's  a  good  scheme,"  enthused  Arthur  (he 
of  the  fertile  imagination).     "  Then  we  could 
make  no  end  of  money  exhibiting  ourselves  as 
the  only  original  mermen." 
153 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

Notwithstanding  the  possibilities  of  this  enter 
prise,  the  three  boys  laid  in  a  goodly  supply  of 
plain  shore  bread,  potatoes,  even  a  pickle  or  two, 
and  filled  the  water  breakers  with  fresh  water — 
it  would  be  two  days  before  the  next  town  could 
be  reached. 

Bright  and  early,  Arthur,  who  had  the  morn 
ing  watch,  called  all  hands,  and  weighing  anchor 
the  "  Gazelle's  "  bowsprit  was  turned  seaward. 
The  long  sand  bar  leading  out  from  Mobile  har 
bor  was  marked  at  its  outer  end  by  a  whistling 
buoy,  that  sped  the  parting  guest  most  mourn 
fully  and  welcomed  the  coming  one  with  a  dirge. 
The  wave-driven  billows  produced  a  most  melan 
choly  whistle,  and  the  boys  were  glad  when  they 
had  turned  to  port  and  were  beyond  the  sound 
of  it. 

Fickle  fortune  smiled  on  these  hard-used  voy 
agers  at  last.  Blue  skies  overhead,  the  clear 
waters  below,  a  delicate  light  green  that  reflected 
into  the  white  sails,  or  a  deep  verdant  color  that 
was  restful  to  the  eye,  and  showed  off  to  advan 
tage  the  tints  of  the  jewel-like  fish  that  swam  in 
its  depths.  The  warm  sun — too  warm  at  times 
—was  a  joy  after  the  long  sunless  days  on  the 
Mississippi,  though  it  tanned  their  skins  the  color 
of  the  cherry-finished  cabin. 

Two  days  out  from  Mobile  they  were  sailing 
154 


ON   MALT   WATER   AT  LAtiT 

along  in  a  light  breeze,  almost  dead  aft.  Frank 
held  the  tiller  and  was  having  little  to  do;  Ken 
neth  lay  on  his  stomach  in  the  cockpit,  studying 
the  chart,  with  its  multiplicity  of  figures  showing 
depths  of  water;  Arthur  was  below  putting  a 
very  conspicuous  background  into  a  pair  of  his 
duck  trousers. 

"  How's  the  weather  up  there,  old  man?  "  Ar 
thur  shouted  to  Frank. 

"All  right,  all  right!"  came  the  answer, 
drowsily.  "  Not  much  wind,  but  hotter  than 
blazes." 

"  But  there's  going  to  be  trouble,  all  the 
samee — t  glass  '  shows  it." 

Kenneth  came  tumbling  down  to  see,  and, 
sure  enough,  the  barometer  was  falling  fast.  It 
did  not  seem  possible  that  a  storm  could  be  com 
ing.  The  air  was  bright  and  clear,  the  long,  easy 
swells  suggested  nothing  but  good  treatment,  and 
the  breeze  was  almost  caressing  in  its  softness. 
But  it  was  the  calm  before  the  storm.  Presently 
the  warmth  began  to  go  out  of  the  air,  and  a 
chilliness  that  made  the  boys  shiver  crept  into  it. 
A  darkening  came  up  in  the  southwest  which 
gradually  deepened  and  spread  until  the  whole 
heavens  were  deep  blue-black,  against  which  the 
scudding  clouds  showed  white  and  ominous. 
From  time  to  time  the  boys  heard  a  distant  rum- 
155 


A   YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

bling,  and  streaks  of  zigzag  lightning  flashed 
across  the  gloom.  It  was  the  first  time  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  and  her  crew  had  encountered  a  blow  on 
the  salt  water,  and  they  looked  to  the  shore  for  a 
shelter.  Vicious  little  blasts — advance  pickets 
of  the  squall — blew  sharply  across  the  sea,  and 
picked  up  little  puffs  of  spray  which  instantly 
disappeared  in  vapor;  the  "  Gazelle  "  trembled 
under  these  slaps  of  wind  like  a  spirited  horse 
under  the  touch  of  a  nervous  driver. 

The  shore  was  without  a  vestige  of  shelter, 
and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  ride  it  out. 

Kenneth  took  the  tiller,  while  Arthur  and 
Frank  made  haste  to  reef  down.  The  mainsail 
was  lowered  altogether  and  furled,  the  jib  was 
reefed  twice,  and  the  jigger  hauled  inboard  and 
reefed  also.  "  His  Xibs  "  was  hauled  aboard 
and  lashed  down  tight.  Oil-skin  coats  and  sou'- 
westers  were  "  broken  out  "  of  the  lockers,  and 
the  hatches  were  shut  tight  and  battened  down. 
The  boat  would  have  to  do  the  rest  to  bring  them 
through  safely,  and  all  had  confidence  that  she 
would  be  perfectly  able  to  do  so. 

These  preparations  were  made  none  too  soon. 
In  an  instant  the  sharp  little  puffs  of  wind  gave 
way  to  a  whooping  gale  that  picked  up  the  sea 
and  the  yacht  alike,  and  swept  them  like  chaff 
before  it  along  shore.  Then  came  the  rain — a 
156 


ON  SALT  WATER    &T  LAST 

deluge,  a  cataract,  that  shut  down  on  everything 
like  night.  The  sea  rose  up  about  them  like 
moving  hills,  the  wind  buffeted  them  so  that  the 
yacht  jarred  with  the  blows,  and  the  rain  closed 
in  on  them,  a  watery  stockade.  It  drenched 
the  crew  crouched  in  the  cockpit  through  and 
through,  and  dashed  into  their  faces  a  thousand 
stinging  darts. 

The  squall  lasted  for  an  hour  without  a  let  up. 
The  "  Gazelle  "  rode  the  waves  beautifully,  and 
took  the  bufferings  of  wind  and  rain  like  the 
sturdy  craft  she  was,  without  a  murmur.  The 
sharp  flashes  of  lightning  gave  Kenneth  momen 
tary  glimpses  of  the  shore,  by  which  he  managed 
to  steer.  Otherwise  they  were  going  it  blind. 

At  length  they  noticed  that  the  volleys  of 
thunder  seemed  less  near  and  the  lightning  less 
frequent  and  the  onslaught  of  the  rain  darts  not 
so  sharp.  The  squall  began  to  die  down  as 
quickly  as  it  rose;  astern,  a  faint  light  showed, 
while  ahead  the  gloom  was  as  deep  as  before. 
The  rain  grew  less  and  less,  and  then  passed  en 
tirely,  the  sun  cleared  his  brow  and  shone  down 
amiably  through  a  blue  sky,  the  wind  calmed 
to  a  steady  breeze,  rain-washed  and  cool.  Only 
the  troubled  sea  remained  as  a  reminder  of  the 
tempest. 

Frank  got  up  and  shook  himself.  "  I  wish  we 
157 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

had  a  wringer  aboard/'  lie  said.  "  I'd  like  to  put 
myself  through  it.  Ugh!  I'm  wet." 

As  the  sun  dropped  into  the  sea  the  "  Gazelle  " 
ran  over  the  bar  and  anchored  just  inside  of  Pen- 
sacola  Harbor.  The  ebb  tide  prevented  them 
from  going  up  to  the  town. 

The  shelter  was  slight,  and  the  sharp  squall 
of  the  afternoon  raised  the  sea  to  an  uncom 
fortable  degree  of  motion.  The  "  Gazelle " 
tossed  and  rolled,  not  having  the  steadying  ad 
vantage  of  spread  canvas.  The  boys  were  glad 
enough  when  the  sun  rose  and  the  tide  allowed 
them  to  sail  up  to  a  sheltered  anchorage  off  the 
city  itself. 

The  thing  about  the  city  of  Pensacola  that 
seemed  principally  to  attract  the  boys'  interest 
was  a  large  ice-manufacturing  plant,  the  mana 
ger  of  which  presented  them  with  a  sizable  cake. 
This  to  boys  who  had  been  drinking  luke-warm, 
rather  brackish  water,  was  a  real  boon. 

After  leaving  Pensacola  Harbor  they  turned 
to  port,  and  found  anchored  just  round  the  bar 
a  fleet  of  vessels  flying  the  yellow  quarantine 
flag;  but  the  "  Gazelle,"  having  a  clean  bill  of 
health,  gave  them  a  wide  berth  and  sped  on. 

The  rather  intricate  passage  into  Santa  Rosa 
Sound  was  run  without  mishap,  and  then  began 
one  of  the  most  delightful  day's  sail  of  the  cruise. 
158 


ON   SALT   WATER   AT  LAST 

They  passed  a  strip  of  sand  hills  twenty  miles 
long,  for  the  most  part  covered  with  tall,  waving 
grass,  live  oaks  and  palms,  but  showing  glimpses 
here  and  there  of  the  white  gleaming  sand.  The 
main  land  along  the  Sound  is  a  government  res 
ervation,  and  is  thickly  planted  with  live  oaks, 
forming  a  solid  wall  of  green  almost  twenty 
miles  long — a  hedge,  as  it  were,  with  irregular 
top,  showing  where  some  ambitious  tree  has 
grown  above  its  fellows.  Between  is  a  strip  of 
water  five  miles  wide,  smooth  and  clear,  light 
green  in  its  shallows,  shading  into  the  deep  blue 
that  marked  the  channel. 

Along  this  path  of  beauty  flew  the  "  Gazelle," 
her  white  sides  and  sails  gleaming  against  the 
tinted  water. 

A  fleet  of  fishing  boats  were  sailing  ahead 
when  the  "  Gazelle  "  entered  the  Sound,  their 
graceful  shapes  skimming  over  the  water. 

Kenneth  stood  up  in  his  place  at  the  helm  and 
looked  at  them.  "  The  c  Gazelle  ?  has  proved 
herself  seaworthy,"  he  said,  rather  proudly.  "  I 
bet  she  can  beat  that  bunch  of  boats  ahead." 

There  were  no  takers,  but  all  hands  watched 
the  gap  of  water  between  the  yacht  and  hindmost 
craft  eagerly.  The  wind  was  astern,  and  with  her 
sheets  well  out,  the  yawl  flew  after  the  fishing 
fleet.  For  an  hour  there  was  little  change  in  the 
159 


A    YEAR   IiV  A    YA^YL 

relative  positions  of  the  pursuer  and  the  pur 
sued;  then  the  boys  noticed  that  the  distance 
was  lessening.  On  they  flew  up  the  broad,  rib 
bon-like  channel,  until  they  were  almost  able  to 
read  the  names  on  the  sterns  of  the  working 
boats. 

"  We're  not  so  slow,"  Kenneth  cried,  as  the 
"  Gazelle  "  drew  alongside,  his  eyes  shining  with 
pleasure. 

"  Adios,"  shouted  a  swarthy  man  standing  in 
the  stern  sheets  of  a  lugger.  "  Fine  boat,  yours; 
you  want  swap?  "  A  set  of  white  teeth  shone  as 
he  smiled  sunnily. 

The  three  boys  took  off  their  caps  and  waved 
a  salute.  "  Xo,  thank  you ;  we're  bound  up  the 
Atlantic  coast,  need  deep  draft  boat,"  Kenneth 
answered. 

"  Atlantic,  that  boat?  no!  "  the  other  said,  half 
to  himself;  and  the  last  the  boys  saw  of  him  he 
was  still  shaking  his  head  emphatically. 

"  Doesn't  know  the  boat,  does  he,  boys?  "  Ken 
neth  laughed. 

The  fishing  fleet  was  soon  left  behind,  and  the 
"  Gazelle  "  was  once  more  sailing  alone.  The 
sun  began  to  sink  lower  and  lower,  gaining  depth 
of  color  as  it  dropped,  until  the  whole  narrow 
path  of  water  blazed  and  sparkled  with  opalescent 
tints.  The  boys  were  almost  intoxicated  with 
160 


ON  SALT   WATER  AT  LAST 

the  delight  of  it,  and  did  not  notice  how  abruptly 
the  sound  was  narrowing  down.  The  sunset's 
glory  was  short-lived,  and  the  crew  found  them 
selves  in  an  intricate,  crooked  channel,  utterly 
strange  to  them.  They  had  almost  decided  to 
anchor,  when  they  noticed  a  large  schooner,  a 
mere  shadow,  gliding  ahead  of  them. 

"  We'll  follow  her  wake,"  declared  Kenneth. 
"  She  knows  the  channel  if  we  don't." 

Like  hounds  on  the  trail  they  followed  the 
schooner  through  the  deepening  dusk,  until  the 
flapping  of  canvas  told  them  that  she  had  come 
into  the  wind,  and  the  clank  of  chain  cable 
through  the  hawse  pipes  betrayed  the  fact  that 
she  had  anchored. 

Bright  and  early  the  next  morning  the  rollick 
ing  three  were  overboard  taking  an  awakening 
bath.  After  bidding  their  guides  of  the  night 
before  good-by,  they  began  to  pick  their  way 
among  the  bars  and  coral  rocks  to  the  open  Gulf. 
It  was  trying,  careful  work,  requiring  constant 
watchfulness,  frequent  sounding  and  much  tack 
ing  to  'and  fro;  but  the  "Gazelle"  was  rid 
ing  the  long  swells  of  the  open  sea  by  eight 
o'clock.  A  long  sail  was  ahead  of  them,  and 
they  hoped  to  make  the  distance  to  St.  Joseph's 
Bay  by  nightfall,  a  run  of  about  eighty  miles. 
But  alas!  the  wind  forsook  them,  and  hour  after 
11  161 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

hour  they  rolled  on  the  long,  oily  swells  under 
the  brazen  sun. 

"  I  am  tired  of  loafing  around.  I  am  going  to 
do  something.'1  Arthur  got  up  from  his  place 
on  the  deck  aft  and  looked  round  for  a  sugges 
tion. 

Frank  and  Kenneth  started  at  this  sudden  dis 
play  of  energy. 

'"'  What  are  you  going  to  do?  "  Kenneth  asked. 
"  Fish,"  was  Arthur's  laconic  answer,  as  lie 
caught  sight  of  a  stout  line  with  a  big  hook  bent 
on  it. 

"  Going  to  catch  minnows?  "  Frank  suggested 
facetiously. 
"  Xo,  whales." 

Arthur  went  below  and  dug  out  of  the  locker 
the  end  of  a  piece  of  pork,  then  dropping  the 
tackle  and  bait  into  "  His  Xibs,"  he  pushed  off. 

Kenneth  roused  himself.  "  Say,  Arthur,"  he 
called,  "better  fish  from  the  yacht;  we  might 
catch  a  breeze  and  leave  you." 

"  Oh,  go  away,"  the  mate  answered.      "  There 
isn't  a  breeze  within  two  hundred  miles  of  here." 
Arthur  rowed  off  a  hundred  yards  or  so,  baited 
his  hook  and  dropped  it  overboard. 

"  TTell,  if  he  isn't  the  greatest  freak,"  Frank 
remarked  lazily. 

For  some  time  the  two  boys  on  the  yacht 
162 


Oy   SALT   WATER  AT  LAST 

watched  him,  then,  as  nothing  happened,  they 
moved  their  gaze  and  half  dozed  in  the  warm, 
salt  air. 

Of  a  sudden  there  was  a  cry  and  a  thump  as  of 
wood  against  wood.  They  looked  quickly,  and 
saw  Arthur  hanging  on  to  the  line,  which 
stretched  out  before  him  tight  as  a  harp  string. 
The  boat  was  rocking  dangerously,  and  the  oars 
banged  together. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  both  boys  shouted. 

"  I  have  caught  something/'  was  the  answer. 

He  certainly  had  caught  something;  and  the 
"  something "  was  carrying  him  rapidly  away 
from  the  "  Gazelle  "  out  to  sea. 


163 


CHAPTEE  X 

BIDING  A   MONSTEE  TURTLE 

Arthur,  after  rowing  away  from  the  yacht, 
dropped  his  baited  hook  overboard,  and  for  a 
time  waited  eagerly  for  something  to  happen; 
but  as  the  water  remained  as  before,  the  sun 
shone  down  with  unabated  ardor,  and  the  heat 
waves  danced  over  the  shining  sea,  he  soon  lost 
interest,  arid  sat  drowsily  holding  the  line  loosely 
in  his  hand,  his  white  canvas  hat  drawn  over 
his  eyes. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  jerk,  and  the  line  began 
to  burn  through  his  fingers;  he  gripped  it  hard, 
and  was  nearly  pulled  overboard.  The  thing  at 
the  other  end,  surprised  at  resistance,  stopped  an 
instant  and  gave  Arthur  time  to  recover  him 
self. 

"  Gee!  I've  got  something,"  he  shouted.  He 
certainly  had,  or  something  had  got  him;  it  was 
some  time  before  he  could  make  up  his  mind 
which  it  was. 

The  fish  began  to  move.  Arthur  determined 
164 


RIDING   A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

he  should  not,  and  the  consequence  was  that  they 
all  moved,  the  fish,  "  His  Nibs  "  and  Arthur, 
straight  for  the  open  Gulf. 

"Here,  where  are  you  going?"  Kenneth's 
voice  came  faintly  over  the  water  to  him. 

"I  don't  know,"  Arthur  shouted  back,  his 
eyes  on  the  taut  line. 

"  Cut  loose !  "  The  voice  from  the  yacht  was 
fainter.  Arthur  thought  that  he  must  be  mov 
ing  away  fast,  but  he  determined  that  he  would 
not  give  up.  He  watched  the  line  closely,  and 
presently  noticed  that  it  was  taking  a  longer  and 
longer  slant;  evidently  the  fish  was  coming  to 
the  surface.  "His  Mbs  "  rushed  along  at  a 
great  rate,  its  bow  low  down  with  Arthur's 
weight  and  the  stress  of  the  towing;  its  stern  was 
almost  out  of  water.  The  line  rose  slowly  until 
it  was  almost  parallel  with  the  surface.  Arthur 
watched  it  excitedly  as  it  cut  the  water  like  a 
knife  and  the  drops  were  thrown  aside  by  its 
vibrations.  At  length  a  sharp  fin  rose  out  of 
the  water,  and  cut  a  rippling  V  in  the  blue  sea. 

"  By  Jove!  it's  a  shark,"  said  Arthur  between 
his  teeth. 

The  boys  on  the  yacht  evidently  saw,  too,  for 
a  faint  cry  reached  the  ears  of  the  boy  in  the 
boat.  "Let  him  go!"  they  shouted.  "Let 
him  go!  " 

165 


A   TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  do."  Arthur  did  not 
waste  his  breath  by  speaking  the  words  aloud; 
he  needed  all  his  strength  to  hold  on  to  the  small 
line.  The  cord  cut  his  fingers,  and  the  pull 
made  his  arms  ache,  but  he  would  not  give  in. 
"  That  beast  must  get  tired  some  time/'  he 
thought.  Suddenly  the  fin  turned,  there  was  a 
miniature  whirlpool  behind  it,  and  Arthur's  arms 
were  nearly  wrenched  out  as  the  shark  put  helm 
to  port  and  struck  out  in  a  new  direction.  Ar 
thur  looked  up,  saw  that  they  were  heading 
straight  for  the  "  Gazelle,"  and  he  took  cour 
age. 

"  If  he'll  only  go  near  enough,"  thought  the 
boy;  but  the  capture  was  not  to  be  counted  on, 
as  it  dashed  from  side  to  side  and  made  rushes 
this  way  and  that,  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  get  away 
from  the  maddening  hook.  Its  general  direc 
tion,  however,  was  toward  the  yacht.  Arthur 
shouted :  "  Soak  him,  if  you  get  a  chance.  I'm 
nearly  done." 

In  one  of  its  mad  rushes  the  shark  came  with 
in  ten  yards  of  the  yacht,  when  Frank,  making  a 
lucky  cast  with  the  heavy  sounding  lead,  landed 
it  on  the  beast's  most  vulnerable  spot,  the 
nose,  and  stunned  him.  Arthur  got  out  an  oar 
and  paddled  over  to  the  yawl,  handed  the  line 
over  to  Frank  and  got  aboard.  Frank  made  the 
166 


RIDING  A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

line  fast  to  the  bitts  forward,  then  cried  exult- 
ingl y :  "  Go  ahead,  old  tow-horse,  and  tow  away. 
Pleased  to  have  you,  I'm  sure."  The  shark's 
gameness  was  broken,  however,  and  after  a 
few  heroic  struggles  to  get  free,  came  within 
easy  sight  of  Frank,  who  speedily  put  a  bul 
let  into  him  and  ended  the  tragedy.  They 
pulled  the  great  fish  alongside  and  measured 
him. 

"  A  good  twelve-footer,  I  bet,"  Frank  asserted, 
after  measuring  the  big  tiger  of  the  sea  with  an 
oar.  "And  look  at  that  jaw!  Jonah  could 
only  have  got  past  those  teeth  in  sections." 

"  Well,  you  did  do  something,"  Kenneth  re 
marked,  as  he  glanced  at  the  long,  lithe  creature 
floating  alongside.  "  But  I  did  not  expect  you 
to  catch  a  towboat." 

"  Suppose — say,  I've  got  a  bright  idea  " 
Frank  looked  up, from  his  inspection  of  Arthur's 
catch — "  suppose  we  drop  a  couple  of  baited 
lines  forward,  made  fast  to  the  bitts,  catch  a 
team  of  sharks  and  get  towed  to  our  next  port,  or 
why  not  the  whole  distance?" 

"  It  might  be  all  right  to  start,  but  how  the 
mischief  would  we  stop?  "  Arthur  rubbed  his 
muscles,  strained  in  the  efforts  which  he  had  al 
ready  made  in  that  direction. 

"  Oh,  just  anchor,  hobble  our  team  by  the  tails 
167 


A   YEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

and  go  on  about  our  business.  It's  as  simple 
as  can  be.  They  could  soon  be  taught  port  and 
starboard." 

"  Coming  down  to  plain  facts,  I  wish  we  had 
a  breeze;  even  a  foot-pump  would  help  us." 
Kenneth  shielded  his  eyes  from  the  glare  and 
looked  over  the  glittering  blue  waters  for  a  wind 
ripple. 

"  Yes,  like  that  fellow  back  in  Michigan,  who 
proposed  to  put  a  motor  in  his  boat  with  an  air 
blower,  so  that  when  the  wind  gave  out  he  could 
blow  himself  along." 

Only  enough  breeze  ruffled  the  smooth  waters 
of  the  Gulf  to  allow  them  to  creep  back  into 
harbor  and  wait  for  a  new  day. 

The  shark  was  cast  loose,  in  spite  of  Arthur's 
impractical  protest  that  he  wanted  to  keep  it  as 
a  souvenir. 

The  next  morning  all  hands  were  up  early  and 
were  greeted  as  they  came  on  deck  by  a  spank 
ing  southwest  wind.  It  was  more  than  a  breeze ; 
it  might  be  ranked  as  a  reefing  wind,  but  the 
"  Gazelle  "  was  under-canvassed  and  so  hoisted 
full  sail  safely.  The  whole  aspect  of  the  sea  had 
changed.  Deep,  blue  and  rippling  under  the 
steady  wind,  it  had  lost  the  brazen  glare  of  the 
day  before.  The  palms  along  shore  waved  their 
graceful  fronds  in  gentle  salutation,  and  the 
168 


RIDING  A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

white-crested  breakers  made  obeisance  at  their 
feet. 

"Up  anchor,  and  away,  boys!  "  Kenneth 
shouted,  exhilarated  by  the  ozone  in  the  air. 
Frank  and  Arthur  started  to  work  the  small  hand 
windlass.  "  Put  your  backs  to  it,  boys ;  we'll  be 
off  the  sooner." 

In  a  minute  the  anchor  broke  ground,  the 
yacht  began  to  pay  off,  and  was  under  way  in 
earnest. 

"Gee!  this  is  better  than  your  old  shark-tow 
ing  scheme/'  Arthur  said,  as  he  and  Frank  coiled 
down  the  gear  and  made  all  snug  for  the  long 
day's  run.  "  There's  nothing  like  a  wind-jam 
mer,  say  I." 

"  Eight  you  are,  Art,"  Frank  acknowledged. 
"  My !  I  am  hungry,  though ;  my  breastbone  is 
flat  against  my  spine." 

"  Well,  it's  up  to  you,  old  man,"  Kenneth 
sang  out  from  his  place  in  the  cockpit.  "  Chase 
it  along;  I  feel  as  if  I  could  eat  Arthur's  shark." 

As  the  day  wore  on,  the  waves  grew  larger, 
long,  rounded  rollers,  that  at  times  crested  and 
were  blown  into  spray  by  the  wind.  Huge,  tum 
bling,  rolling  hills  they  were,  like  great  playfel 
lows,  mighty  but  amiable.  The  boys  felt  a  kind 
of  fellowship  for  them,  and  enjoyed  watching 
the  blue-green  slopes  that  rose  and  fell,  now  hid- 
169 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

ing  the  land  from  them,  now  lifting  boat  and  all 
to  a  watery  height,  widening  the  horizon  and 
giving  the  boys  little  thrills  of  delight  as  they 
coasted  down  into  the  hollows  again. 

Hour  after  hour  they  sailed  on,  the  wind 
steady  and  true  from  the  southwest,  so  that  only 
the  slightest  shift  of  the  helm  was  necessary,  and 
'tending  sheet  became  a  sinecure.  The  "  Ga 
zelle  "  even  acted  as  if  she  were  enjoying  her 
self.  She  ran  up  the  hill  of  one  wave  and  down 
the  slope  of  another,  like  a  frolicsome  dolphin 
with  a  superabundance  of  animal  spirits.  In 
deed,  the  porpoises  seemed  to  recognize  in  her  a 
playfellow,  for  they  somersaulted  along  in  com 
pany  with  her  for  hours,  mocked  at  her  grace, 
raced  with  her  and  dove  under  her,  for  all  the 
world  like  children  at  play. 

u  Jiminy !  let's  have  a  swim  with  Jem,"  said 
Arthur,  who,  fascinated  by  their  easy  antics,  was 
positively  envious.  "  If  I  could  swim  like  that, 
I  wouldn't  mind  turning  my  feet  into  fins  one 
bit." 

The  delights  of  that  day's  sail  would  fill  a  book. 
The  strange  fish  which  they  caught  glimpses  of 
as  the  yawl  flew  along,  brilliantly  colored  and 
flashing  like  jewels  in  the  clear  depths;  schools 
of  flying-fish,  strange,  spectre-like  creatures, 
sprang  out  of  the  blue  and  scudded  a  hundred 
170 


RIDING  A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

feet  or  so  clear  of  the  waves,  then  dropped  as 
suddenly  as  they  had  risen,  into  their  native  ele 
ment  again. 

Still  the  good  yacht  sped  on  swiftly,  steadily, 
like  a  great  tireless  bird.  To  starboard  the  boys 
could  see  nothing  but  the  same  old  sea;  the  same, 
but  always  changing,  always  new.  To  port,  the 
land  was  fringed  with  white  tossing  breakers, 
and  beyond  that  forests  of  trees,  graceful  palms, 
and  sturdy  live  oaks,  with  their  branches  draped 
in  swaying  moss,  made  a  background  of  exquisite 
beauty. 

Here  and  there  a  veritable  giant  that  had  lost 
in  its  battle  with  the  elements,  rose  up  above  the 
rest,  bare,  denuded  and  black,  but  a  sturdy  relic 
still. 

After  a  four-hours'  trick  at  the  stick,  Kenneth 
gave  up  the  helm  to  Arthur  and  went  below  to 
write  up  his  log.  For  a  time  the  other  two  boys 
could  see  him  laboring  with  a  pen  at  the  big, 
ledger-like  book,  intent  on  doing  what  he  con 
sidered  his  duty;  but  his  hand  travelled  slowly, 
then  more  slowly  still.  He  looked  up  to  get 
ideas,  glanced  through  the  oval  port  lights,  now 
shut  in  by  a  green  wall  of  sunlit  water,  or  giving 
a  sudden  glimpse  of  blue  cloud-flecked  sky  and 
palm-clad  land  over  the  heaving  waters.  For 
a  time  he  gazed,  then,  frowning,  grasped  his  pen 
171 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

determinedly,  and  set  to  work  again.  A  dozen 
lines,  perhaps,  were  written,  then  his  eyes  were 
irresistibly  drawn  again  to  the  ever-changing 
pictures  of  sea  and  sky  in  the  oval  frames. 

"  Better  give  it  up,  old  man,"  Frank  shouted 
down  the  hatch,  laughing.  "  Save  your  log  till 
you  can't  do  anything  else,  or  until  it's  too  dark 
to  see.  This  is  better  than  a  hundred  logs.  Come 
on  deck  and  see  it  all.  You  can  tell  about  it 
later." 

"  I  can't  resist;  that's  a  fact,"  Kenneth  an 
swered,  coining  on  deck.  "  This  beats  anything 
I  ever  even  heard  of.  Don't  the  old  boat  sail 
through,  though?  Steady  as  a  church — skates 
up  and  down  the  waves  as  if  she  enjoyed  it." 

The  boys  went  below  only  to  eat.  Frank  and 
Kenneth  washed  dishes,  because  Arthur  was  sail 
ing — this  was  according  to  the  unwritten  law, 
that  the  one  who  sailed  wras  excused  from  house 
work,  light  or  otherwise.  The  cook  did  not  have 
to  wash  dishes,  though  he  was  perfectly  welcome 
to  do  so  if  he  desired. 

The  boys  saw7  the  sun  rise  that  morning,  and 
it  was  shedding  its  last  glowing  rays  over  the  rest 
less  waters  when  they  made  the  harbor  of  St. 
Joseph's  Bay.  "  Eighty  miles  in  one  day  is  not 
bad  going  for  a  thirty-foot  boat,"  said  Ransom, 
exultingly,  after  measuring  the  charts. 
172 


'** 


RIDING   A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

"  Sure  not,"  chimed  in  Arthur.  "  If  we  could 
do  that  every  day,  the  rest  of  the  cruise  would 
be  an  easy  thing." 

"  Let's  see,"  said  Frank,  counting  on  his  fin 
gers  ;  "  eighty  miles  a  day  for  thirty  days  would 
be  2,400  miles;  at  that  rate  we  have  only  got 
about  two  months'  more  cruising,  including 
stops." 

"  I  hate  to  obstruct  this  beautiful  two  months' 
trip,  but  think  of  yesterday  and  add  a  couple  of 
months."  Kenneth,  in  his  usual  matter-of-fact 
manner,  was  throwing  cold  water  upon  these  ex 
travagant  dreamers. 

St.  Joseph's  Bay,  a  deep  indentation  in  the 
coast,  afforded  the  young  sailors  a  splendid 
anchorage,  sheltered  and  easy  of  access.  The 
rollers  beat  steadily  on  the  beach  outside,  the 
roaring  proclaiming  the  majesty  of  the  sea; 
but  within  all  was  calm  and  still — gentle  rollers 
rocked  the  yacht  just  enough  to  soothe — and  the 
three  youngsters  slept  like  hibernating  bears. 

The  soft  breeze  hummed  gently  through  the 
rigging,  the  little  waves  lapped  caressingly 
against  the  boat's  sides,  fishes  bumped  their  noses 
inquiringly  against  her  bottom.  "  His  Nibs," 
made  fast  by  a  long  painter,  went  on  little  excur 
sions  of  its  own  'as  far  as  the  line  would  reach, 
like  an  inquisitive  dog;  but  the  boys  slept 
173 


A    YEAR   IX   A    YAWL 

through  it,  perfectly  unconscious  of  all  the  in 
teresting  nocturnal  goings  in.  It  was  not  until 
the  warm  sun  came  shining  through  the  port 
lights,  and  upon  the  open  hatch,  that  they  finally 
waked  up. 

"  Seven  bells,  boys ;  up,  all  'hands — rise  and 
shine — shake  a  leg!  "  Kenneth  shouted,  rubbing 
his  own  eyes  to  pry  them  open.  It  was  seven 
o'clock,  and  a  long  day's  sail  to  Appalachicola 
was  before  them.  Each  boy,  as  he  rolled  out  of 
his  bunk,  shook  off  the  few  clothes  he  had  on  and 
flopped  overboard.  In  a  minute,  the  sleepy  dust 
was  washed  out  of  their  eyes,  and  the  boys 
sported  about  like  seals  in  the  clear,  warm  salt 
water. 

Frank  climbed  on  deck  and  dove  off,  making 
a  clear  arching  leap  like  a  hunted  fish;  but  his 
feet  had  hardly  disappeared  before  his  head 
showed  above  the  surface  again. 

"  AYhy,  you  couldn't  sink  in  this  water  if  a 
mill-stone  were  hung  round  your  neck,"  he  splut 
tered,  shaking  the  water  out  of  his  eyes. 

Through  St.  George's  Sound — a  piece  of  water 
something  like  the  Santa  Rosa,  separated  as  it  is 
from  the  Gulf  by  a  narrow  strip  of  sand — they 
sailed  to  Appalachicola,  then  on  along  the  har- 
borless  coast  to  Cedar  Keys.  It  was  a  piece  of  sail 
ing  that  Kenneth  dreaded.  That  long,  curving 
174 


RIDING   A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

strip  of  coast  without  one  adequate  shelter  along 
its  entire  length,  was  not  pleasant  to  think  of  in 
connection  with  an  onshore  gale.  Kenneth  ex 
amined  the  charts  as  the  yawl  sailed  along,  and 
noticed  that  the  water  was  very  shoal  far  from 
shore. 

"  How  deep  do  you  suppose  it  is  off  here?  "  he 
called  up  to  Frank,  who  was  steering. 

"I  don't  know;  it  must  be  pretty  deep,  for 
we  are  five  or  six  miles  from  shore,"  Frank 
answered.  "  But  I  can  see  bottom  just  the 
same;  look  at  that  seaweed  waving  as  if  the 
breeze  was  blowing  on  it.  How  deep  is  it,  any 
way? " 

"  Well,  you  may  not  believe  it  "•  —Kenneth 
rolled  up  the  chart  and  started  aft  to  show  the 
helmsman — "  but  it's  only  seven  or  eight  feet. 
Pretty  near  as  flat  as  a  floor;  about  a  foot  a  mile 
drop,  I  estimate." 

"  Why  didn't  we  walk? "  suggested  Arthur, 
"  as  the  Irishman  said,  when  he  saw  the  diver 
coming  up  out  of  the  water  at  Ellis  Island." 

They  anchored  that  night  about  five  miles 
from  shore,  in  seven  feet  of  water,  and  the 
treacherous  old  Gulf  was  as  calm  as  a  park  lake 
under  a  summer  zephyr. 

All  the  next  day,  a  roaring  wind  from  the 
northwest  wafted  the  three  along;  and  night  saw 
175 


A    YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

them   safely   anchored   off   the   mouth   of   the 
Suwanee  River. 

A  star-studded  sky  hung  over  them  as  all  three 
boys  came  out  on  deck  after  all  was  snug  and 
ship  shape.  Kenneth  got  out  his  guitar,  and  to 
the  accompaniment  of  its  softly-strummed  chords 
the  boys  sang: 

"  Way  down  upon  the  Suwanee  River, 
Far,  far,  away." 

The  spell  of  the  quiet  was  on  them  all,  and  as 
the  sound  of  their  young  voices  died  away,  and 
only  the  hum  of  the  strings,  the  lap  of  the  rip 
pling  water,  and  the  soft  whirr  of  the  breeze  were 
in  their  ears,  a  feeling  of  sadness  came  over  them 
as  they  realized  that  they  were  indeed  far,  far 
from  home. 

Arthur  lay  flat  on  his  back,  gazing  up  into  the 
immeasurable  sky;  Frank  lay  along  the  rail,  look 
ing  into  the  clear,  black,  velvety  depths  of  the 
ever  shifting  water;  Kenneth,  absorbed  in  his 
brown  study,  watched  the  bow  of  the  small  boat 
abstractedly  as  the  sharp  stem  cleaved  the  cur 
rent  of  the  tide,  making  little  waves  that  glowed 
with  phosphorescence. 

For  a  while,  no  word  was  spoken,  then 
"  Phew !  "  snorted  Frank.  "  I  knew  this  was  too 
176 


RIDING   A   HOXtiTER   TURTLE 

good  to  last.  What  have  we  run  up  against,  a 
fertilizer  factory? " 

"  I  thing  do/'  answered  Arthur,  holding  his 
nose. 

"  Dee!  did  it  worde  thad  a  dead  rad."  Ran- 
some  had  his  nostrils  closed  also,  as  his  manner 
of  speech  indicated. 

The  stench  drove  the  three  boys  into  the  cabin, 
where,  with  closed  doors  and  hatch,  they  swel 
tered  until  a  shift  of  wind  made  it  possible  for 
them  to  breathe  the  outer  air  again.  They 
looked  in  the  direction  from  which  the  odor  had 
come,  and  saw  the  anchor  light  of  a  vessel  swing 
ing,  and  then,  as  their  eyes  became  accustomed 
to  the  darkness,  they  made  out  the  deeper  shadow 
of  the  vessel  herself. 

Not  till  morning  did  they  find  out  that  the 
fragrance  came  from  a  sponge  schooner.  Though 
they  hesitated  some  time,  at  last  their  curiosity 
overcame  their  squeamishness,  and,  after  wash 
ing  down  decks,  breakfasting,  and  cleaning  up, 
Arthur  and  Frank  (Kenneth  having,  as  usual, 
drawn  the  short  yarn)  took  "  His  Mbs  "  and 
rowed  over  to  the  schooner.  Kenneth  watched 
his  comrades  from  the  "  Gazelle,"  and  saw  them 
row  very  gingerly  up  to  the  trim  vessel  until  the 
small  boat's  stem  almost  touched  the  larger 
boat's  side,  when  they  half  turned  to  go  away, 
12  177 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

but,  evidently  gathering  up  their  resolution,  they 
hailed  a  man  on  deck  and  went  aboard.  Later, 
Ransom,  himself,  had  a  chance  of  investigating 
the  work.  As  he  climbed  the  schooner's  sides, 
he  found  sponges  of  many  sizes  and  shapes  strung 
around  the  rigging  in  various  degrees  of  decom 
position.  A  big  AVest  Indian  negro  explained 
to  him  that  they  were  hung  up  to  rot  the  animal 
matter  out  of  the  fibrous  substance  wrhich  made 
the  home  of  the  multitude  of  small  creatures. 
A  very  unsavory  occupation,  but  one  that  pays 
quite  well,  the  big  fellow  told  Kenneth,  and  in 
vited  him  to  go  sponge-fishing  with  him.  Ran 
som  accepted,  and,  getting  into  a  small  boat,  they 
rowed  some  distance  from  the  schooner.  Putting 
a  long,  slender  pine  pole  with  a  hook  on  one  end 
into  the  boy's  hands,  the  negro  suggested  that  he 
try  his  luck.  "  This  is  easy,"  Kenneth  said  to 
himself,  as  he  slipped  it  into  the  water  and  began 
to  feel  about  on  the  bottom.  Soon  the  end  struck 
something  soft,  and, with  a  little  thrill  that  always 
comes  to  the  fisherman  when  he  gets  hooked  to 
something,  he  began  to  haul  up,  slowly  and  care 
fully.  Under  instructions  from  the  negro,  he 
pulled  up  inch  by  inch.  The  thing  he  had  on 
his  hook  was  a  dead  weight,  utterly  unlike  the 
active  fish,  but  he  thought  that  he  detected  a 
tremor  in  even  this  inert  mass.  Slowly,  and 
178 


RIDING   A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

more  slowly,  he  raised  the  pole  until  he  could 
dimly  see  a  yellow-brown  substance  through  the 
sunlit  water.  At  last  his  catch  was  almost  on  the 
surface,  when  the  negro  began  to  laugh  loudly. 
"What's  the  joke?"  Kenneth  began,  then  he 
stopped,  as  he  caught  a  clear  glimpse  of  his  treas 
ure  trove.  An  enormous  mouth  gaped  at  him, 
and  two  protuberant  eyes  that  shone  like  jewels 
gleamed  in  the  sunlight,  a  brown,  flat  body  cov 
ered  with  warts  and  excrescences  of  various 
kinds  flopped  feebly  on  the  surface.  "  Holy 
smoke,  what  have  I  struck? "  Kenneth  ex 
claimed,  feeling  that  he  had  a  waking  night 
mare.  The  thing  slid  off  from  the  hook,  and 
scaling  down  through  the  water  was  soon  lost  to 
view. 

"  Ugh !  "  said  the  boy,  shivering  in  remem 
brance.  "  What  was  that  ?  " 

"  Angle-fish,  I  reckon.  Scare  yer?  "  the  other 
replied. 

Though  Kenneth  tried  again,  he  could  not 
haul  up  a  sponge.  There  was  a  knack  to  it  that 
completely  baffled  him. 

All  through  this  part  of  the  Gulf,  the  boys 
found  the  sponge  fishermen  and  their  crews — 
many  of  whom  were  West  Indian  negroes — 
great,  big,  strong  fellows,  who  seemed  to  find  the 
odoriferous  life  healthy.  The  shallow  water, 
179 


A   TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

smooth  and  clear,  produced  good  sponges,  and 
the  fishermen  came  to  reap  the  harvest  from  all 
directions. 

Even  in  the  town  of  Cedar  Keys,  the  boys 
could  not  get  away  from  the  horrid  odor.  The 
town,  formerly  a  great  cedar-producing  place, 
and  the  site  of  a  large  pencil  manufactory,  had 
become  the  sponge  fisherman's  port  of  call. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Ken,  let's  get  our  mail, 
our  grub,  and  our  water,  and  clear  out  of  this 
place,"  Arthur  said,  the  afternoon  that  they  en 
tered  Cedar  Keys  Harbor.  "  It  seems  to  me  that 
sponge  is  mixed  up  with  everything  I  eat,  drink, 
smell,  taste,  see,  and  touch.  It's  awful!  " 

"  I'm  willing,"  the  skipper  answered,  "  if 
Frank  votes  aye." 

"  Aye !  Aye !  "  Frank  shouted  emphatically, 
with  no  loss  of  time. 

Soon  after  dawn  the  next  day,  the  mud-hook 
was  pulled  up,  and  the  "  Gazelle  "  stood  for  the 
open  Gulf.  She  sped  along  as  if  she,  too,  was 
glad  to  get  away  into  the  free,  sweet  air  of  the 
Southern  sea. 

It  was  a  six  days'  sail  to  Charlotte  Harbor,  a 
little  below  Tampa.  A  sail  full  of  incident;  of 
friendly  races  with  fishing  boats;  exhilarating 
bouts  with  sharp  little  squalls  that  called  for 
quick  work  and  unerring  judgment;  and  an  en- 
180 


RIDING  A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

trancing  view  of  an  ever-changing  semi-tropical 
coast. 

A  schooner  with  which  they  had  been  sailing 
hour  after  hour,  headed  into  the  harbor  which 
opened  up  invitingly  before  both  vessels. 

"  We  might  as  well  go  in  too/'  suggested  Ran 
som.  "  There's  plenty  of  water,  and  we  might 
take  a  chance  at  a  turtle  or  two.  What  do  you 
say?  " 

So  they  rounded  the  lighthouse  and  sailed  up 
the  channel  with  their  companion  ship,  like  a 
team  of  horses.  Together  the  jibs  came  down, 
and  together  the  anchor  chains  rattled  through 
the  chocks. 

They  learned  from  the  lighthouse  keeper  that 
turtles  were  plentiful  at  this  time  of  year,  and 
that  they  crawled  up  on  the  beach  at  night  to  lay 
their  eggs. 

All  three  boys  wanted  to  go,  but  one  had  to 
stay  and  keep  ship.  So  after  supper  they  drew 
lots. 

"  This  yarn-pulling  business  is  getting  to  be  a 
sort  of  one-sided  joke,"  declared  Ransom,  ag- 
grievedly.  "  I  believe  the  strand  I  choose  gets 
shorter  when  I  take  it." 

"  Hard  luck,  old  man,"  Arthur  and  Frank 
said  sympathetically,  as  they  got  into  the  small 
boat  and  pushed  off. 

181 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

Kenneth  watched  the  boat  as  it  skimmed  the 
placid  water,  a  dim  shadow  in  the  deepening 
gloom,  and  listened  to  the  rhythm  of  the  dipping 
oars  and  creaking  rowlocks,  with  a  sense  of  lone 
liness  that  he  found  hard  to  shake  off.  The  boat 
finally  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  and  the 
sounds  faded  into  the  general  murmur  of  the 
water.  Soon  a  light  showed  on  the  beach  and 
went  swinging  along,  eclipsed  at  regular  inter 
vals  by  the  legs  of  the  carrier.  The  boys  had 
lighted  the  lantern,  and  shouldering  their  guns 
were  on  their  way  to  the  turtles'  haunts. 

Ransom  wrote  his  log  and  finished  some  let 
ters  ;  then,  taking  some  pillows  on  deck,  was  soon 
lulled  to  sleep  by  the  soft  wind  and  the  gentle 
swing  of  the  waves. 

Loaded  down  with  hatchets,  guns,  and  re 
volvers,  Frank  and  Arthur  looked  as  if  they  were 
on  a  pirating  expedition;  they  went  prepared  for 
whatever  might  turn  up.  Bears  are  fond  of 
turtle  eggs  and  coons  dote  on  them ;  so  there  was 
a  reasonable  chance  of  the  boys  interrupting 
somebody's  feast. 

Side  by  side  they  walked,  talking  in  low  tones ; 
both  felt  the  tingling  excitement  that  goes  with 
hunting  adventures  day  or  night. 

Once,  Frank  caught  sight  of  a  dark  something 
flopping  in  the  water  just  beyond  the  tiny  break- 
182 


RIDING  A   HOXSTER   TURTLE 

ers,  and,  half  wild  with  excitement,  he  up  with 
his  rifle  and  shot  at  it.  Arthur  raised  the  lan 
tern,  and  they  saw  that  it  was  a  small  shark 
caught  in  the  shoal  water. 

"  One  on  you,  old  man/'  laughed  Arthur. 
"  Think  it  was  a  sea  serpent?  " 

After  walking  an  hour  or  more,  they  rounded 
the  point  that  protected  the  harbor,  and  were 
soon  treading  the  sand  of  the  outer  beach. 

"  This  must  be  the  place/'  whispered  Arthur. 
They  walked  more  cautiously,  and  looked  for  the 
parallel  trenches  in  the  sand  that  they  had  been 
told  marked  the  passage  of  the  giant  turtles. 

The  damp,  salt  air  blew  into  their  faces,  and 
made  the  flame  of  the  lantern  flicker,  and  cast 
uncouth  shadows  on  the  sloping  beach. 

"  There's  one!  "  cried  Arthur,  giving  his  com 
panion  a  grip  on  the  arm.  "  Look!  "  And  they 
both  started  on  a  run  for  the  dark  object  that  lay 
so  still. 

"  Oh,  come  off;  don't  you  know  the  difference 
between  a  patch  of  sand  grass  and  a  green  turtle? 
What  about  the  laugh  this  time?  " 

"  That's  all  right ;  I  know  a  shark  when  I  see 
it.  This  lantern  flickers —  By  Jove!  look  at 
that!  "  Arthur  stopped  in  his  tracks  and  grabbed 
the  light  out  of  Frank's  hand. 

There  were  two  deep  tracks  in  the  sand  that 
183 


A   YEAR  /#  A   YAWL 

paralleled  each  other — unmistakable  sign  of  a 
monster  turtle.  Both  boys  followed  the  trail  on 
the  run,  only  to  find  that  Madam  Turtle  had  been 
and  gone,  also  that  bruin  or  coon  had  feasted 
royally  on  the  eggs. 

A  hundred  yards  further  on,  they  came  to  an 
other  track,  and  with  excitement  less  strong,  but 
still  with  nerves  and  muscles  tense  and  hearts 
throbbing,  they  followed  fast.  The  moon  broke 
from  the  clouds  and  silvered  the  crescent  sea,  the 
wind-tossed  palms  showed  black  against  the  sky, 
and  the  beach  shone  white  under  the  light. 
"  Hurrah!  ;)  Frank  shouted.  "  Now  we  can  see." 
The  pale  gleam  showed  a  dark  shape  ten  yards 
from  them  that  moved  awkwardly.  "  There  she 
is,  Art.  Come  on!  " 

In  a  minute  they  had  come  up  to  a  giant  tur 
tle,  which,  on  their  approach,  drew  in  its  head, 
then  shot  it  ou't  again,  its  beaked  mouth  opening 
and  closing  wickedly. 

"  Shoot  it,  Frank!  "  Arthur  cried,  utterly  flus 
tered.  "  Hit  him  in  the  eye !  Hit  him  some 
where,  quick!  " 

"  No;  let's  get  hold  of  his  shell  and  flop  him 
over  on  his  back,  then  we've  got  him."  Taking 
hold  of  the  huge  creature's  shell,  just  back  of  the 
crooked  hind  legs,  they  heaved  and  strained  to 
turn  her  over.  It  was  no  use,  the  beast  was  too 
184 


THE    MOON    BROKE    FROM    THE  CLOUDS  AND  SILVERED  THE  CRESCENT  SEA." — 

(Page  184.) 


RIDING  A   MONSTER   TURTLE 

heavy,  and  the  turtle,  objecting  to  this  treatment, 
started  for  the  water. 

"  Shoot  it,  Frank;  it'll  get  away!  " 
Frank  did  as  he  was  bid,  but  the  bullets  had 
no  apparent  effect — the  great  creature  waddled 
on  even  faster  than  before. 

Arthur,  almost  beside  himself  with  excite 
ment,  jumped  on  to  the  broad,  rounded  back,  and 
yelled  like  an  Indian,  swaying  to  and  fro  in  his 
efforts  to  keep  his  balance  on  the  living  platform. 
Then  suddenly  realizing  that  he  held  a  hatchet 
in  his  flourishing  right  hand,  he  reached  forward 
and  struck  it  deeply  into  the  snake-like  skull. 


185 


CHAPTEE    XI 

LOST  ON   CAPTIVE  ISLAND 

Charlotte  Harbor  was  so  flooded  with  moon 
light  that  the  little  wind  ripples  shone  like 
frosted  silver.  The  "  Gazelle,"  lying  peacefully 
at  anchor,  floated  like  a  shadow  on  the  placid 
water.  Kenneth  lay  asleep  on  the  cabin  roof, 
where  he  had  moved  from  the  more  cramped 
position  in  the  cockpit.  Soundly  as  a  tired  man 
should,  he  slept;  then,  disturbed  by  dreams  of 
battles  with  wind  and  wave,  he  stirred,  working 
his  arms  and  legs  like  a  dog  who  has  visions 
of  the  chase.  At  first  he  moved  uneasily,  but 
still  lay  in  the  same  position,  then,  still  dead 
asleep,  began  to  work  over  to  the  yacht's  rail. 
A  long,  strong  roller  came  in  from  the  Gulf  and 
rocked  the  yawl  so  that  the  deck  sloped  sharply; 
there  was  a  sudden  great  splash,  and  then  all  was 
still,  the  ripples  circling  away  from  the  agitated 
spot.  Suddenly  the  waters  began  to  show  signs 
of  a  struggle  below,  and  an  instant  later  a  be 
draggled  white  figure  splashed  to  the  surface  and 
186 


LOST   ON   CAPTIVE   ISLAND 

began  spouting  and  spluttering.  Kenneth 
coughed  and  wheezed  as  he  got  rid  of  a  large 
quantity  of  warm,  salt  liquid,  and  between  gasps 
called  himself  all  the  names  his  water-soaked 
brain  could  think  of.  He  finally  pulled  him 
self  up  on  deck — rather  weakly — and  lay  down 
in  the  cockpit  to  rest  a  minute. 

"Well,  I'll  be  jiggered,  if  that  wasn't  the 
greatest  fool  stunt !  I  am  mighty  glad  the  other 
fellows  were  not  around.  I  should  never  have 
heard  the  last  of  it." 

He  turned  to  go  below,  and,  as  he  did  so,  he 
heard  the  far  distant  crack  of  a  rifle. 

"  Must  be  something  doing  with  the  turtles/' 
he  thought. 

The  rifle  shot  which  Ransom  heard  was  fired 
by  Frank  at  the  great  turtle,  which,  in  spite  of 
the  hatchet  in  its  skull  and  the  boy  on  its  back, 
was  making  for  the  sea,  determined  to  escape. 
The  hatchet,  half  buried  in  the  thick  bone,  had 
no  more  apparent  effect  upon  it  than  the  drop 
ping  of  an  oyster  shell  on  it  would  have  had. 

"Shoot  him  again,  Frank!  "  shouted  Arthur 
from  his  perch.  "We've  simply  got  to  stop 
him." 

The  boy  took  careful  aim  at  the  sinister  black 
eye,  the  only  vulnerable  spot  visible,  and  fired. 
187 


A   YEAR  IX  A   YAWL 

With  a  heave  that  threw  Arthur  from  his  feet, 
the  great  creature  made  its  last  struggle  for  free 
dom,  throwing  the  sand  in  showers  and  digging- 
great  holes  in  the  coarse  sand,  then,  folding 
its  legs  and  tail  beneath  its  roof-like  shell,  it 
died. 

For  a  minute,  the  victor  gazed  at  his  victim, 
and  then,  wiping  away  an  imaginary  tear  of  re 
gret,  went  to  search  for  eggs.  In  a  hollow  near 
the  spot  where  the  hunters  had  found  Mrs.  Tur 
tle,  her  eggs  were  unearthed — several  dozen  of 
them.  The  boys  put  them  in  a  canvas  bag  which 
they  carried,  and  went  on  to  hunt  for  more  shell 
backs. 

Before  long  they  came  again  upon  the  tell-tale 
tracks  in  the  sand,  and  found  a  turtle  at  the  end 
of  them;  smaller,  but  one  even  more  active  than 
the  other. 

It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  they  managed 
to  get  a  long  piece  of  driftwood  under  the  shell, 
and  by  the  aid  of  this  leverage  "  end  her  over." 
Frank  and  Arthur  immediately  rushed  forward 
to  end  her  misery,  and  received  a  shower  of  sand 
in  their  faces  that  nearly  blinded  them.  They 
retired  out  of  range  in  confusion,  and  dug  the 
sand  out  of  eyes,  ears,  and  mouths.  With 
powerful  sweep-like  strokes,  the  turtle  clawed 
the  beach  in  its  efforts  to  right  itself,  and  scooped 
188 


LOUT   ON   CAPTIVE   ISLAND 

the  sand  until  it  Lad  dug  holes  for  each  of  its 
four  legs,  so  deep  that  the  coarse  grains  were 
beyond  its  reach,  and  it  lay  helplessly  sprawling. 

With  a  single  hatchet  stroke,  turtle  number 
two  was  despatched,  and  the  victors  sat  a  minute 
beside  their  game  to  rest. 

"  Gracious !  I'd  like  to  have  these  turtles  in 
Chicago,"  remarked  Frank,  with  speculative  in 
stinct.  "  Just  think  of  the  gallons  of  green  tur 
tle  soup  they  would  make;  and  it  cost  twenty- 
five  cents  a  half-pint  plateful!  Holy  smoke, 
we  would  be  millionaires  in  no  time." 

"  But  what  are  we  going  to  do  with  them 
now?  "  Arthur  had  a  way  of  coming  down  to 
realities  with  a  sickening  thud. 

As  if  in  answer  to  the  question,  the  lighthouse 
keeper  came  towards  them  out  of  the  fast  bright 
ening  dawn,  and  showed  them  how  to  dismember 
the  creatures. 

Taking  two  great  hams,  the  two  boys  slung 
them  on  a  pole  stretched  between  them,  and 
started  back  to  the  place  where  they  had  left 
"  His  ISTibs."  The  pieces  of  turtle  meat,  the 
guns,  lantern,  and  bag  of  eggs  made  such  a  heavy 
load  that  they  were  glad  enough  when  they 
reached  the  spot  where  the  small  boat  had  been 
left. 

Arthur  and  Frank  looked  out  over  the  water 
189 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

and  saw  the  "  Gazelle  "  swinging  at  anchor,  glori 
fied  in  the  warm  colors  of  the  sunrise. 

"What's  the  matter  with  Ken?"  Frank  ex 
claimed,  pointing  with  his  gun  barrel  at  the  fig 
ure  on  the  yacht's  deck,  which  waved  and  ges 
tured  frantically. 

"He  is  pointing  at  something.  What's  the 
matter  with  the  chump?  He  is  shouting."  Ar 
thur  stopped  to  listen.  The  faint  sound  of  a 
voice  came  over  the  harbor,  but  they  could  not 
make  out  what  it  said. 

"  He  is  pointing."  Arthur  was  shading  his 
eyes  and  looking  intently.  "  What,  in  the  name 
of  common  sense,  is — -  By  George,  look  at '  His 
Nibs.' '  Arthur  was  pointing  now  at  the  little 
boat,  which,  like  a  mischievous  youngster,  was 
bobbing  airily  about  a  short  distance  from  shore. 

"  Jove!  it's  well  we  came  along  when  we  did; 
that  little  tub  would  have  been  out  to  sea  in  a 
minute." 

As  it  was,  Arthur  had  to  swim  for  it,  and  only 
caught  the  truant  after  a  long  race.  "  The  next 
time  I  leave  you  alone,"  he  said,  as  he  pulled 
himself  over  the  stern,  "  I  am  going  to  make  you 
fast  to  a  ten-ton  anchor." 

It  was  a  merry  feast  that  the  reunited  three 
enjoyed  that  morning.  Turtle  steak,  which  Ken 
neth  declared  to  be  equal  to  porterhouse  and 
190 


LOST  ON   CAPTIVE  ISLAND 

much  like  it  in  flavor,  was  the  piece  de  resistance; 
but  the  talk  and  chaff  were  the  garnishings  that 
made  the  meal  worth  while. 

"  You  have  got  to  wash  dishes,  old  man,"  Ken 
neth  said  to  his  mate,  when  every  vestige  of  the 
breakfast  had  disappeared,  "  while  Frank  and 
I  get  this  old  house-boat  under  way." 

"Gazelle,  Gazelle, 
She'll  run  pell-mell 
With  every  stitch  a-drawing  ; 
O'er  waters  smooth, 
And  waters  rough, 
The  seas  her  forefoot  spurning." 

He  sang  light-heartedly  as  he  went  on  deck. 

Soon  Arthur  heard  the  cheep,  cheep  of  the  hal 
liard  blocks  as  the  mainsail  was  hoisted,  then  the 
metallic  clink  of  the  ratchet  on  the  capstan; 
Frank's  cry,  "  She's  broke !  "  was  followed  by  the 
swift  whirr  of  the  jib  halliards  hauled  taut  and  the 
creak  of  the  blocks  as  the  mainsail  was  sheeted 
home.  Then  the  slap,  slap  of  the  little  waves 
against  the  yacht's  sides  as  she  heeled  to  the 
fresh  breeze  told  Arthur  that  they  were  under 
way  again. 

"  There's  no  use  talking,  this  beats  farming/' 
Arthur  said  to  himself.     "  But,  Je-rwsalem,  we 
had  it  hard  on  the  Old  Mississippi.     I  don't  han 
ker  for  any  more  of  that." 
191 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

After  getting  under  way,  the  order  was:  "  All 
hands  and  the  cook  prepare  meat."  There  was 
a  large  amount  of  turtle  meat  left  that  was  too 
valuable  to  be  wasted.  The  flesh  was  cut  up  into 
strips,  thoroughly  sprinkled  with  salt,  and  hung 
up  in  the  rigging,  where  the  sun  shone  full  upon 
it,  to  dry.  It  was  not  a  very  appetizing  job,  nor 
did  the  yacht  herself  present  a  very  attractive 
appearance,  but  the  product  turned  out  all  right. 
Turtle  meat  and  turtle  eggs  were  on  the  bill  of 
fare  for  some  time. 

Kenneth  made  the  unsavory  remark  that  if  the 
meat-preserving  experiment  proved  a  failure,  the 
"  Gazelle "  would  be  about  as  fragrant  as  a 
sponge-fishing  boat. 

After  a  four  hours'  run,  Frank,  who  climbed 
up  into  the  port  rigging,  glass  in  hand,  made  out 
Captive  Island,  a  low-lying  strip  of  land  that  just 
showed  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 

As  they  drew  nearer,  they  could  see  that  it  was 
densely  wooded — palms  tossed  their  feathery 
heads;  the  great  live  oaks  stretched  out  their 
mighty  arms  sturdily ;  and  here  and  there  a  cedar 
stood  out  black  in  contrast  with  the  lighter 
greens. 

"  I'd  like  to  explore  that  island,"  said  Arthur. 
"  What's  the  matter  with  laying  off  there  for  the 
night?" 

192 


LOST  ON   CAPTIVE  ISLAND 

"  All  right;  harbor  is  good  and  water  enough," 
Kenneth  admitted,  after  looking  at  the  charts. 

The  anchor  was  let  go  into  three  fathoms,  off 
a  sort  of  rude  landing,  which  they  afterward 
found  was  built  by  a  man  who  lived  on  the  island 
and  raised  vegetables  for  the  northern  market. 

After  supper,  Frank  and  Arthur  went  ashore, 
but  soon  returned,  driven  away  by  mosquitoes. 
Frank  declared  that  he  had  seen  enough  of  that 
place  at  close  quarters,  and  that  if  the  skipper 
and  Arthur  wanted  to  explore,  he  was  satisfied  to 
stay  and  tend  ship. 

"  Why/7  said  he,  "  except  where  the  fellow  has 
his  vegetable  patch,  the  whole  place  is  a  morass 
right  down  to  the  water's  edge.  I  guess  there 
is  a  beach  on  the  Gulf  side,  now  I  think  of  it." 

"  That's  it — that  beach!  That's  what  I  want 
to  explore."  Arthur  was  of  an  investigating 
turn  of  mind. 

It  was  unnecessary  to  go  through  the  usual 
plan  of  drawing  lots  to  determine  who  should  go 
and  who  should  stay;  Frank  stuck  to  his  previous 
statement  that  he  would  not  go  "  chasing  round 
in  that  miserable  mud  hole."  After  all  the 
morning's  work  was  done,  the  skipper  and  the 
mate  got  into  "  His  Nibs  "  and  rowed  off. 

The  little  landing  was  a  primitive  affair,  hard 
ly  strong  enough,  the  two  boys  thought,  to  allow 
13  193 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

of  very  heavy  shipments  being  made  from  it;  but 
it  was  sufficiently  sturdy  to  bear  their  weight 
without  a  tremor.  From  it  led  a  path  through 
tilled  land,,  green  with  the  young  shoots  of  a 
freshly-planted  crop.  This  road  Kenneth  and 
Arthur  followed  for  some  distance.  Fields 
crowded  it  closely  on  either  side,  then  it 
branched,  and  the  boys  found  themselves  walk 
ing  on  a  narrow  strip  of  solid  ground,  hemmed 
in  on  both  sides  by  a  morass  so  deep  and  uncanny 
that  they  shivered.  Tall  palmettos  grew  out  of 
the  slimy  ground,  and  vines  twisted  and  wound 
in  every  direction  like  thin,  green  serpents;  gray 
moss  hung  from  the  branches  everywhere,  like 
veils  placed  to  hide  some  ghastly  mystery.  The 
path  was  well  trod  and  firm,  and  the  two  boys, 
feeling  that  it  must  lead  somewhere,  went  on 
quickly.  For  an  hour,  they  travelled  through 
the  swamp,  the  way  winding  in  and  out  among 
the  trees  wherever  the  earth  was  firm. 

"  I  wonder  if  this  is  another  case  of  '  Lost  in 
the  Dismal  Swamp/  "  said  Arthur,  whose  looks 
belied  his  cheerful  tone. 

"  Xo;  this  path  is  perfectly  clear.  It  will  be 
easy  enough  to  get  back,  if  we  want  to,"  Ken 
neth  replied.  "Getting  cold  feet?" 

"  Xo,  sure  not;  but  I  would  like  to  get  out  into 
the  open,  all  the  same." 

194 


LOST  ON   CAPTIVE  ISLAND 

The  thick  trees  shut  out  all  the  breeze  there 
was,  and  the  damp,  currentless  air  was  heavy 
with  the  odors  of  decaying  vegetable  matter. 
Perspiration  was  running  down  the  boys'  faces, 
and  spots  of  dampness  began  to  show  on  the 
backs  of  their  white  jumpers. 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Kenneth,  "there's  the 
beach." 

A  rift  in  the  trees  showed  the  blue  sky, 
and  the  invigorating  sound  of  surf  reached 
their  ears.  Soon  they  came  upon  a  stretch  of 
sand  that  shone  white  under  the  morning  sun 
— smooth  and  hard  and  clean  as  a  newly-swept 
floor. 

In  a  minute  the  two  were  running  races  up  the 
beach  that  stretched  before  them  like  a  straight 
away  track.  They  ran  and  frolicked  from  the 
pure  joy  of  living.  Under  the  clear  sky  and 
shining  sun,  they  forgot  the  gloomy  forest  and 
the  stagnant  marsh.  Not  till  they  were  all  out 
of  breath,  did  the  rollicking  skipper  and  his  un 
dignified  mate  stop  to  rest;  then  they  stretched 
at  full  length  on  the  clean  sand,  and  gave  them 
selves  up  to  the  joys  of  doing  nothing,  when 
there  was  no  need  to  work  under  the  stress  of  an 
exacting  conscience. 

Neither  of  the  boys  realized  how  long  they 
had  lain  there,  supremely  comfortable  as  they 
195 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

were,  until  the  pang  of  hunger  began  to  make 
itself  felt. 

"  Look  at  that,  Ken/'  Arthur  exclaimed,  point 
ing  to  the  sun  long  past  the  meridian.  "  Why, 
it  must  be  afternoon." 

"My  stomach  feels  like  it,"  the  other  ad 
mitted.  "  Better  be  going  back,  I  guess." 

They  got  themselves  up,  and  began  walking- 
leisurely  along  the  beach,  stopping  now  and  then 
to  pick  up  a  shell  or  to  dip  their  bare  feet  in  the 
up-running  waves. 

"  This  is  the  place,  Ken,"  said  Arthur,  turn 
ing  to  two  tall  palmettos  growing  on  the  edge  of 
the  forest. 

"  2sTo,  that  isn't  it,"  the  other  replied.  "  There 
was  a  crooked  cedar  near  the  path  where  we  came 
out." 

"  I  bet  it's  the  place,"  Arthur  said  positively. 
"  Let  me  prove  it  to  you." 

When  they  reached  the  trees  mentioned,  they 
glanced  beyond  them,  and  saw  the  thick  black 
ooze  of  the  morass.  A  pale  fungus  thrust  out 
of  the  mud  here  and  there  added  to  the  dismal 
aspect  of  the  place. 

"  Ugh!  "  Arthur  shivered. 

"  I  told  you  so,"  Kenneth  jeered;  "  not  a  sign 
of  a  path." 

They  walked  on,  looking  for  the  crooked 
196 


LOST   ON   CAPTIVE   INLAND 

cedar,  but  not  one  could  be  seen.  Everywhere 
were  palmettos,  straight  and  tall,  swaying  in  the 
breeze  and  beckoning  like  sirens  alluring  them  to 
the  destruction  that  lurked  just  beyond. 

Every  little  opening  that  looked  as  if  a  path 
might  lead  from  it  was  searched  eagerly,  but  the 
black  swamp  always  stared  them  in  the  face 
whenever  they  looked  beyond  the  first  line  of 
trees.  Hour  after  hour  they  searched,  at  first 
hopefully,  then  doggedly,  driven  on  by  the  feel 
ing  that  they  must  do  something — that  if  they 
hunted  carefully  enough  and  persistently  the 
way  would  surely  be  found. 

The  sun  sank  lower  and  lower,  and  the  feather- 
like  fronds  of  the  trees  cast  longer  and  longer 
shadows  over  the  beach;  still  the  boys  searched 
for  that  mysterious  path.  Thirst  was  added  to 
ravenous  hunger  that  increased  every  minute. 
The  long  walk  through  the  woods,  and  later  the 
almost  continuous  exposure  to  the  sun,  had 
brought  on  a  longing  for  water  that  was  getting 
well  nigh  unbearable. 

"  "What  fools  we  were  not  to  mark  the  trees 
where  we  came  out,"  Kenneth  wailed,  as  they 
dropped  down  on  the  sand,  worn  out.  "  We 
were  so  glad  to  get  out  of  the  place  that  we  did 
not  think  about  getting  through  again." 

"  We  can't  go  around,"  Kenneth  said,  think- 
197 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

ing  aloud;  "  the  swamp  comes  right  down  to  the 
water  on  all  sides  of  the  island  but  this.  I  guess 
we  have  got  to  stick  it  out  all  night,  old  man." 
Kenneth  laid  his  hand  on  his  friend's  shoulder. 

"  My,  but  I'm  thirsty !  "  was  the  mate's  only 
comment. 

With  the  suddenness  peculiar  to  the  tropics, 
the  sun  went  down  in  a  blaze  of  color,  and  in  its 
stead  came  a  cloud  of  mosquitoes,  bloodthirsty 
and  poisonous.  "Without  protection  of  any  kind, 
the  boys  suffered  terribly — faces,  hands,  and  feet 
were  soon  covered  with  the  itching  little  spots, 
that  spread  until  their  whole  bodies  were  covered 
with  the  bites  of  the  pests.  Their  thirst  in 
creased  until  their  mouths  seemed  like  dry  ovens 
lined  with  dust  and  cracked  with  heat.  Hun 
ger,  too,  assailed  them — the  hunger  of  healthy 
appetites  long  unappeased,  gnawing,  and  weak 
ening. 

Kenneth  gathered  some  half -green  wood  from 
the  edge  of  the  forest,  built  a  fire,  and  in  the 
dense  smoke  they  sat  as  long  as  they  could,  or 
until  they  choked. 

Then,  in  order  that  one,  at  least,  might  rest, 
they  took  turns  in  brushing  the  invading  mos 
quitoes  from  each  other.  While  one  rested,  the 
other  plied  a  palm  branch;  and  so  they  passed  the 
long  night — interminable  it  seemed. 
198 


LO&T   ON   CAPTIVE   INLAND 

At  length  the  gray  dawn  began  to  steal  over 
the  sea,  and  the  boys,  weak  with  hunger,  and  al 
most  frantic  Avith  parching  thirst,  thanked  God 
for  it.  They  knew  that  with  the  appearance  of 
the  sun  the  mosquitoes  would  go,  and  with  the 
hope  that  "  springs  eternal,"  longed  to  begin  the 
search  for  the  path  again. 

Soon  the  heavens  were  lighted  with  the  glory 
of  the  sunrise,  and  the  waters,  tinged  with  its 
colors,  heaved  and  tossed  like  a  great  surface  of 
iridescent  molten  metal — constantly  changing, 
showing  new  shades  that  ran  into  one  another, 
dimpled,  flamed,  and  faded. 

Arthur  and  Kenneth  could  appreciate  the 
beauty  of  the  scene  in  a  dull  sort  of  way  only. 
They  suffered  terribly;  the  pangs  of  hunger  and 
the  tortures  of  thirst  drove  all  else  from  their 
minds. 

A  plunge  in  the  cool  surf,  however,  freshened 
them  up  greatly,  though  it  took  all  their  resolu 
tion  to  resist  the  temptation  to  drink  the  in 
tensely  salt  water. 

As  they  were  about  to  begin  their  search 
anew,  they  noticed  a  little  black  dog  trotting 
about  near  the  edge  of  the  woods.  The  boys 
were  very  much  pleased  to  see  the  little  beast. 
He  was  frisky  and  well  fed — evidently  the  pet 
of  some  household — and  the  lost  ones  were 
199 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

glad  of  even  this  remote  connection  with  civili 
zation. 

Kenneth  suddenly  made  an  exclamation;  he 
tried  to  whistle  also,  but  his  parched  lips  would 
not  admit  of  it. 

"  I've  got  an  idea,  Art.     Listen." 

Arthur  stopped  trying  to  make  friends  with 
the  little  visitor. 

"  That  dog  got  here  somehow;  he  must  have 
come  along  some  path,  and  he  will  know  the  way 
back.  We  have  got  to  make  him  go  home,  then 
we  will  follow.  See?" 

Arthur  did  see,  and  changed  his  tactics  accord 
ingly.  "Go  home!  "  he  shouted.  But  the  dog 
suddenly  grew  very  friendly,  wagged  his  tail, 
and  came  trotting  across  the  sand  towards  them. 
It  was  most  exasperating.  "  Go  home !  "  both 
shouted  at  once,  and  waved  their  arms  menacing. 
The  dog  evidently  thought  it  some  kind  of  a 
game,  and  he  frolicked  about  as  if  it  was  the 
greatest  fun  imaginable.  "  It  won't  do,"  mut 
tered  the  older  boy,  and  he  stooped  as  if  to  pick 
up  a  stone.  This  was  an  old  game  that  the  dog 
fully  understood.  Many  a  time  had  he  chased 
a  stick  into  the  water.  He  danced  about  and 
barked  joyfully. 

"  There,  you  miserable  little  critter,  go 
home!  "  Kenneth  threw  a  pebble  that  struck 
200 


LOST   ON    CAPTIVE   INLAND 

just  before  the  dog's  nose,  and  he  stopped  in 
astonishment.  Another  well-directed  stone 
changed  his  doggie  joy  and  confidence  to  fear, 
and,  lowering  his  tail,  he  began  to  slink  towards 
the  woods  and  the  swamp. 

The  boys'  hearts  beat  high  with  hope,  though 
they  felt  ashamed  to  treat  such  a  friendly  little 
beast  so  unkindly.  A  well-feigned  angry  shout 
and  threatening  gestures  were  enough  to  make 
their  involuntary  friend  turn  tail  and  run  for 
home.  Once  started,  he  ran  in  earnest,  and  fear 
ful  that  they  would  lose  sight  of  him  before  he 
showed  the  path,  the  boys  rushed  after,  panting 
and  almost  fainting  with  hunger  and  thirst. 
Once  they  thought  that  they  had  lost  their  guide, 
and  their  hearts  sank;  but,  in  a  minute  or  two, 
they  saw  him  enter  the  woods,  and  they  carefully 
marked  the  place,  so  that  they  were  able  to  fol 
low  without  trouble.  The  entrance  was  a  most 
unlikely  place,  and  they  had  passed  it  many 
times,  but  soon  they  saw  clearly  a  well-beaten 
path  leading  through  the  maze  of  tree  trunks 
and  veiling  moss. 

With  hearts  full  of  thankfulness,  they  fol 
lowed  along,  faint,  dizzy,  and  well-nigh  ex 
hausted,  but  withal  hopeful  and  happy  once 
more.  At  no  great  distance  they  came  to  a  com 
fortable  plantation  house,  and  there  in  the  front 
201 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

yard — blessed  sight ! — was  a  well  with  tin  dipper 
hanging  on  the  pump  box.  The  water,  cool 
and  clear,  was  the  most  delicious  thing  that 
they  ever  tasted,  and  the  remembrance  of  that 
draught  of  plain  well  water  will  always  linger 
with  them.  As  they  drank,  their  canine  friend 
eyed  them  from  behind  the  corner  of  the  house, 
and  though  they  did  their  best  to  show  their 
gratitude,  he  mistrusted  and  would  have  none 
of  them. 

After  thanking  the  good  people  of  the  house, 
they  went  on,  and  at  last  reached  the  landing. 
It  took  nearly  all  of  their  remaining  strength  to 
row  out  to  the  "  Gazelle,"  and  though  Frank 
plied  them  with  questions  showing  the  effects  of 
his  long  night  of  worry,  they  could  hardly  an 
swer  him  intelligently,  until  he  had  strengthened 
them  with  black  coffee  and  some  food. 

As  soon  as  the  skipper  and  mate  had  recovered 
their  strength,  they  weighed  anchor  and  sailed 
away  from  the  island  that  had  so  nearly  been  the 
scene  of  their  death. 

Down  the  coast  they  sped,  nearer  and  nearer 
the  long  point  that  divides  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
from  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The  boys  grew  more 
and  more  impatient  as  they  drew  gradually 
nearer  to  the  old  ocean.  The  stops  were  as  brief 
as  possible;  they  merely  touched  to  get  fresh 
202 


LOST   ON   CAPTIVE   I8LAND 

water  and  buy  fruit  or  necessary  food.  There 
were  no  towns  of  interest  to  visit — mere  clusters 
of  fishermen's  huts. 

Cape  Romano,  that  point  around  which  the 
waters  of  the  Gulf  continually  froth  and  rage, 
was  passed  in  safety,  though  the  "  Gazelle  " 
tossed  about  roughly,  and  had,  for  a  time,  a  tussle 
with  the  seas  that  tested  her  thoroughly. 

Now  began  the  trip  through  that  maze  of  in 
tricate  channels  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Islands, 
where  many  a  good  vessel  has  been  lost — a  place 
that  was  once  the  refuge  of  pirates,  and  even 
now  retains  the  flavor  of  bloodthirsty  tales.  On 
one  of  these  islands,  or  keys,  the  boys  landed  in 
search  of  fresh  water.  After  walking  a  while, 
they  came  to  a  snug  little  cove  or  inlet,  and  were 
surprised  to  find  a  graceful  sloop  anchored  cosily 
therein.  From  the  cove  led  a  well-beaten  path, 
which,  Frank  and  Kenneth  following,  came  to  a 
picturesque  cottage  thatched  with  palm  branches. 
It  was  weatherbeaten,  but  looked  comfortable, 
A  young  wToman  was  standing  in  front,  and 
in  answer  to  their  polite  questions  about  water 
and  the  easiest  of  the  many  puzzling  channels 
to  follow,  suggested  that  they  ask  "  John," 
and  pointed  with  her  thumb  over  her  shoulder 
to  the  open  door  of  the  hut.  Needing  no  second 
invitation,  their  curiosity  fully  aroused  by  the 
203 


A   YEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

strange  remoteness  of  this  little  home,  they 
stepped  on,  and  looked  through  the  door  into  the 
larger  of  the  two  rooms  the  house  contained. 
There,  prone  on  the  floor,  stretched  on  a  gray 
rag  carpet,  lay  an  old  man;  his  complexion  was 
brown,  dark,  and  rich  in  color  as  century-old 
mahogany;  his  thick,  white  hair — bushy  and 
plentiful — framed  a  face  seamed  and  lined,  but 
keen  and  full  of  vigor.  The  old  man  stirred  at 
the  sound  of  the  boys'  step,  then  rose  and  went 
toward  them  inquiringly. 

"  The  young  lady  said  that  you  knew  all  about 
the  coast,  and  could  tell  us  the  best  way  to  get 
through  the  islands,"  Ivenneth  began. 

"  Yes,  I  do  know  something  of  the  coast/7  and 
the  old  man  smiled,  as  if  at  a  joke  too  private  to 
bo  told. 

lie  asked  the  boys  about  themselves,  and  was 
much  interested  in  their  tale  of  pluck  and  their 
plans  for  the  balance  of  the  cruise.  After  they 
had  finished  their  recital,  he,  in  his  turn,  began 
an  account  of  the  channels,  harbors,  shoals,  tides, 
and  currents,  that  showed  an  acquaintance  with 
the  coast  along  the  Gulf  that  was  indeed  marvel 
lous.  His  voice  was  clear  and  full,  and  he  ges 
tured  freely  as  he  talked  with  the  animation  of 
a  young  man. 

Both  of  the  boys  instinctively  understood  that 
204 


LOST   ON   CAPTIVE   INLAND 

there  was  something  extraordinary  about  him, 
although  they  could  not  tell  what  it  was. 

He  expressed  a  wish  to  see  the  boat  that  had 
been  built  so  far  away  from  the  warm  clime  she 
was  now  visiting,  so  the  youngsters  filled  their 
breaker  at  a  spring  near  the  cottage  and  led  the 
way  to  the  beach  where  they  had  landed.  It  was 
quite  a  long  walk,  but  the  old  native  tramped  it 
as  sturdily  as  the  young  men  themselves.  The 
"  Gazelle  "  lay  swinging  idly  at  her  anchor;  a 
sight  to  make  her  owner's  heart  glad. 

The  old  man  seemed  much  pleased  with  the 
yacht,  and  complimented  her  builder.  Then  he 
talked  about  boats  in  general,  displaying  such  a 
knowledge  of  vessels  of  all  kinds  that  Kenneth's 
curiosity  finally  overcame  him,  and  he  asked  if 
their  host  would  not  tell  him  some  incident  that 
they  might  put  down  in  the  log  in  remembrance 
of  the  visit — hoping  that  he  might  in  some  way 
reveal  his  history. 

"  Well,  boys,  how  old  should  you  say  I  am? " 
He  looked  quizzically  from  one  to  the  other. 
Frank  guessed  eighty;  Kenneth  eighty-five,  and 
he  was  afraid  he  was  stretching  it. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  my  name  is  John  Gomez, 
and  if  I  live  till  Christmas — as  I  hope  I  shall — 
I'll  be  a  hundred  and  twenty-three." 

Frank  and  Kenneth  could  do  nothing  but  gaze 
205 


A    YEAR   /A    A    YAWL 

at  him  open-mouthed.  "Holy  smoke!  "  at  last 
ejaculated  Frank. 

"  Xow,  there's  something  to  put  down  in  your 
log,"  said  John  Gomez.  "  Good  luck  to  you." 

He  shook  the  boys'  hands  with  a  hearty  grip, 
and  went  off. 

"  Well,"  said  Frank,  as  he  and  Kenneth  got 
aboard  "  His  Xibs  "  and  pushed  off,  "  a  hundred 
and  twenty-three,  think  of  it!  I  bet  that  old 
chap  has  a  history." 

And  he  had. 


206 


CHAPTEK  XII 

FIGHTING  A  MAN-EATING  SHAEK 

It  was  some  time  before  the  boys  heard  about 
old  John  Gomez ;  but  the  tales  that  were  current 
from  Mobile  to  Key  West  would  fill  a  book.  Ac 
cording  to  one  story,  he  was  the  only  surviving 
member  of  a  pirate  crew — one  of  the  many  that 
formerly  cruised  about  in  the  waters  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  and  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The  crew  of 
this  ship  had  a  disagreement  about  the  division 
of  the  spoils,  and  a  great  fight  followed.  All  but 
Gomez  were  slain,  and  though  he  was  badly 
wounded,  he  hid  the  great  treasure  which  was  in 
his  hands,  and  so  carefully  that  no  one  had  ever 
been  able  to  learn  its  whereabouts.  The  old 
man  had  never  alluded  to  the  subject;  and  it  was 
feared  that  his  secret  might  die  with  him.  Some 
said  that  the  young  woman  the  boys  saw  with  the 
old  man  was  a  relative,  others  declared  that  she 
was  merely  a  guard  stationed  to  secure  the  secret 
should  the  centenarian  by  any  chance  let  it  drop 
unawares.  Gomez's  general  appearance  did  not 
207 


A    YEAR   IN  A    1AWL 

a  little  to  give  credence  to  these  stories;  his  looks 
were  certainly  of  the  piratical  order — a  lean,  sal 
low  face,  keen,  piercing  black  eyes,  gold  rings  in 
his  ears,  and  a  watchfulness  that  never  wearied, 
were  characteristics  which  he  had  in  common 
with  light-fingered  gentlemen  of  seafaring 
tastes. 

Over  a  year  later,  the  boys  read  a  newspaper 
clipping  describing  his  death.  He  was  drowned 
while  sailing  alone  in  his  sloop  on  the  open  Gulf. 
But  they  never  heard  that  any  of  the  treasure 
was  ever  found. 

For  several  days  the  voyagers  travelled  among 
the  Ten  Thousand  Islands,  winding  in  and  out 
through  the  labyrinthine  channels.  It  was  a 
journey  full  of  incident.  Islands  of  every  size 
and  shape — green  islands  and  islands  bare  of  ver 
dure — crowded  the  sea. 

A  whole  week  passed,  and  the  boys  did  not 
see  the  least  sign  of  a  white  man.  Every  vessel 
of  sufficient  size  stood  out  into  the  Gulf  to  avoid 
the  winding  passages.  They  ran  across  several 
Seminole  Indians,  tall,  splendid  fellows,  who 
considered  the  coils  of  bright-colored  cloth  on 
their  heads  sufficient  covering  for  the  whole 
body. 

At  last  they  sighted  Cape  Sable,  and  they 
knew  that  with  a  favorable  wind  the  "  Gazelle  " 
208 


FIGHTING-  A   MAN-EATING  SHARK 

would  soon  be  ploughing  the  waters  of  the  At 
lantic  Ocean. 

Off  Cape  Sable  the  "  G-azelle  "  ran  into  a  fleet 
of  fishing  boats,  and  for  an  hour  the  boys  and  the 
men  of  the  fishing  boats  swapped  yarns;  then 
they  busied  themselves  laying  in  a  stock  of  cocoa- 
nuts  against  future  need. 

It  was  a  straight  run  from  Cape  Sable  to 
Grassy  Key,  one  of  the  long  chain  of  islands 
which  drip  off  the  end  of  the  Florida  peninsula. 
At  last,  only  the  narrow  island  lay  between  the 
"  Gazelle  "  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The  great 
body  of  salt  water  Kenneth  and  his  crew  had  so 
perseveringiy  fought  to  gain  was  almost  in  sight, 
and  the  deeper  note  of  its  thundering  surf  could 
at  times  be  plainly  heard.  What  might  befall 
them  on  the  greater  tide  they  knew  not,  but  with 
undaunted  courage  all  were  impatient  to  ven 
ture,  and  to  learn. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  reached  her  secure  anchorage 
just  as  the  storm,  which  had  been  threatening 
several  days,  broke  with  terrible  fury.  Shel 
tered  as  they  were,  the  joy  of  the  boys  at  reach 
ing  the  last  obstacle  to  their  way  to  the  Atlantic, 
gave  place  to  awe  as  they  heard  the  roar  of  the 
wind  and  felt  the  shock  of  the  beating  surf  on 
the  coral  shores  outside.  For  three  days  a  heavy 
wind  prevailed — too  strong  to  allow  of  the  "  Ga- 
14  209 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

zelle  "  venturing  out.  In  fact,  the  seas  had 
been  swept  free  of  all  craft  as  if  by  a  gigantic 
broom.  Then  the  boys  were  forced  to  live  on 
an  almost  purely  vegetable  diet  of  cocoanuts  and 
oatmeal — a  liberal  supply  of  weevils  in  the  last 
constituting  the  only  foreign  element  in  the 
otherwise  strictly  vegetable  nature  of  the  food. 
At  the  end  of  the  three  days,  the  wind  subsided 
enough  to  allow  the  yacht  to  crawl  out  of  her 
hole,  and  with  wings  spread  wide,  she  entered 
the  dangerous  passage  that  led  to  the  almost 
limitless  waste  of  waters  of  the  grand  old  ocean. 

It  was  a  proud  moment  for  Kenneth  when  his 
yacht  sailed  out  on  the  broad  Atlantic — pride  in 
his  boat,  pride  in  the  crew,  and  a  pardonable 
satisfaction  with  his  own  good  work. 

"All  hail  to  Old  Ocean!  "  shouted  the  crew 
as  the  "  Gazelle,"  with  a  shake  that  was  like  the 
toss  of  the  head,  bounded  into  the  embrace  of  the 
Atlantic's  long  billows. 

"  Well,  we  did  it!  "  cried  the  mate  exultingly. 
"  Sailed  to  the  ocean." 

"  And  wre  will  sail  back,  too,"  added  Frank. 

"But  we  have  a  trick  or  two  to  turn  yet." 
Kenneth  foresaw  experiences  before  them  dur 
ing  the  long  coast-wise  trip. 

The  voyage  up  the  Hawk  Channel  to  Miami, 
on  Biscayne  Bay,  seemed  long  only  because  of 
210 


FIGHTING  A   MAN-EATING  SHARK 

their  short  supply  of  food;  and  when  they  an 
chored  off  that  southernmost  town  on  the  main 
land  of  Florida,  they  were  ready  to  tackle  any 
thing  in  the  shape  of  eatables  except  oatmeal  and 
cocoanuts. 

For  many,  many  days  the  boys  had  not  been 
able  to  send  word  to  their  people  in  far  off  Michi 
gan;  nor  had  they  heard  from  home.  At  Miami 
a  big  batch  of  mail  awaited  them;  and  they  at 
once  satisfied  a  hunger  for  home  news  and  civi 
lized  food.  Day  by  day  the  boys  had  added  to 
their  letters,  until  Uncle  Sam  received  almost  as 
much  mail  matter  as  he  had  brought. 

For  two  days  the  boys  enjoyed  the  comfort  of 
a  safe  anchorage  in  a  port,  and  all  hands  got  a 
good  rest,  many  good  feeds,  and  a  good  hair-cut 
apiece.  When  their  unkempt  shaggy  locks  were 
shorn,  the  places  protected  from  the  sun  showed 
white  in  contrast  to  their  tanned  skins. 

"  Arthur,  you  look  like  Barnum's  piebald 
boy,"  Said  Frank,  pointing  a  derisive  finger  at 
him. 

"  Well,  you  look  as  if  you  needed  a  good  scrub. 
You  started  all  right,  apparently,  but  you  must 
have  got  tired." 

"  Every  man  his  own  hair  brush,"  said  Ran 
som,  running  his  fingers  appreciatively  through 
his  stiff,  closely  cropped  hair.  "  Tf  I  could  only 
211 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

reach  my  feet  with  my  head  I  would  always 
have  a  shine." 

"That's  all  right;  you  can  reach  mine/'  and 
Arthur  put  up  his  foot  to  prove  it. 

The  fame  of  the  young  sailors  and  their 
staunch  craft  had  preceded  them,  so  they  made 
many  friends  in  the  far  Southern  town,  and 
spent  the  days  very  pleasantly.  The  place  was 
a  great  shipping  point  for  pineapples — crates  of 
the  spiky  fruit  being  shipped  by  the  thousands 
to  Northern  cities;  and  now,  for  once  in  their 
lives,  the  boys  had  their  fill  of  them — great, 
juicy,  luscious  things  ripened  in  their  own  warm, 
native  sun. 

In  spite  of  all  'these  enticements,  Kenneth  and 
his  crew  were  eager  to  begin  their  long  cruise  up 
the  coast,  and  in  spite,  also,  of  many  invitations 
to  stay,  'they  weighed  anchor  and  got  under  way 
the  second  day  after  they  had  entered  the  famous 
harbor.  The  bay,  though  large,  was  full  of  bars, 
and  these  and  great  masses  of  seaweed  made  it 
difficult  to  keep  to  the  deep  water. 

A  fine  breeze  was  blowing,  and  the  "  Gazelle," 
her  booms  well  to  port,  sailed  off  handsomely. 
Her  crew,  rested,  well  fed,  and  at  peace  with  all, 
were  in  high  spirits,  and  proud  of  the  fine  appear 
ance  their  yacht  made.  Kenneth  at  the  stick, 
Frank  tending  sheets,  Arthur  below  making  all 
212 


FIGHTING  A   MAN-EATING   SHARK 

snug  for  the  coming  tussle  with  old  ocean — all 
were  in  high  feather.  The  "  Gazelle  "  was  sail 
ing  her  best,  skimming  over  the  water  at  good 
speed,  like  a  graceful  gull,  when  suddenly  she 
struck  bottom,  and  stopped  with  a  jar.  There 
she  stuck,  all  sail  spread  and  every  stitch  drawing, 
but  as  hard  on  the  bar  as  though  she  had  been 
rooted  to  it.  This  was  too  common  an  experi 
ence  to  give  the  boys  any  uneasiness,  but  the  de 
lay  was  vexatious,  and  they  tried  every  means 
that  experience  suggested  to  shove  her  into  deep 
water.  The  tide  was  falling,  and  they  soon  saw 
that  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait  until  it 
changed  to  flood,  and  released  them.  A  long- 
day  of  waiting  was  before  them,  and  since  with 
the  falling  water  the  yacht  careened  more  and 
more,  there  was  no  comfort  in  staying  aboard  of 
her. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  a  swim?  "  Frank  sug 
gested. 

"  I'll  beat  you  in,"  Kenneth  responded. 

In  a  trice,  all  three  were  overboard. 

Farther  on  the  bar  was  entirely  bare,  and  a 
smooth,  hard  sand  beach  was  left.  One  side 
sloped  suddenly  into  deep  water,  and  made  a 
splendid  diving  place. 

For  an  hour,  the  three  swam  in  the  warm  salt 
sea,  and  then  Ken  and  Arthur,  growing  a  little 
213 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

weary  of  the  sport,  went  on  shore  and  lay  bask 
ing  on  the  beach.  Frank,  however,  not  satisfied, 
continued  to  float  about. 

Arthur  and  Kenneth  talked  comfortably  for 
some  time,  then,  becoming  interested,  fell  into  a 
lively  discussion,  which  Arthur  suddenly  inter 
rupted  with,  "Why,  look  at  Frank.  "What  in 
the  world  is  the  matter  with  him?  " 

"  Oh,  he's  just  fooling.  Splashing  around  for 
exercise,"  Kenneth  answered  indifferently. 

It  was  Frank's  peculiar  motions  that  had  at 
tracted  Arthur's  attention.  He  swam  around  in 
circles,  then  he  stopped  and  splashed  and  made 
a  great  to-do.  After  that,  he  swam  ahead  for  a 
little,  only  to  stop  and  begin  all  over  again  his 
previous  absurd  tactics. 

"  He's  not  fooling,  Ken ;  something  is  the  mat 
ter  with  him.  Perhaps  he  has  got  cramp."  Just 
as  Arthur  stopped  speaking,  Frank  seemed  to  re 
gain  his  senses,  and  swam  straight  ahead  in  an 
entirely  rational  and  dignified,  if  somewhat 
speedy,  fashion. 

Then,  all  of  a  sudden,  he  began  to  lash  about 
with  arms  and  legs  anew.  His  feet  and  hands 
flew  about  like  flails,  and  beat  the  water  into 
white  foamy  lather.  The  two  boys  watched  the 
antics  of  their  friend  with  growing  alarm.  All 
at  once  they  saw  something  that  stirred  them  to 
214 


FIGHTING  A   MAN-EATING   SHARK 

instant  action — the  sharp  triangle  of  a  shark's  fin 
cutting  through  the  water  just  behind  Frank's 
wildly  waving  arms. 

The  water  was  delightful,  and  Frank  was  not 
ready  to  come  in  when  Arthur  and  Kenneth  had 
had  enough,  so  he  dived  over  and  swam  out  where 
the  tide  was  several  times  over  his  head.  Once 
he  dived  down  and  tried  to  reach  bottom,  and,  as 
he  rose  toward  the  surface,  his  heart  laboring  for 
air,  his  face  turned  up,  he  saw  a  sinister  shadow 
slowly  swaying  in  the  yellowish-green  water  al 
most  above  him.  For  an  instant  his  heart  sank, 
and  cold  chills  ran  up  and  down  his  spine.  Never 
had  he  seen  so  large  a  shark,  and  for  a  moment 
he  almost  lost  his  presence  of  mind.  Then,  with 
a  rush,  his  courage  returned,  and  working  arms 
and  legs  with  frantic  zeal,  he  shot  up  to  the  sur 
face,  and  began  splashing  about  to  frighten  the 
shark  off — a  plan  that  he  had  heard  wras  some 
times  successful.  For  a  while  the  man-eater,  sur 
prised  by  these  tactics,  was  held  at  bay,  then,  as 
Frank  grew  weary  of  his  efforts  and  stopped  to 
rest,  the  monster  drew  slowly  nearer,  and  began 
to  turn  on  his  back  to  allow  his  long,  under-cut 
jaw  to  work. 

"  He'll  have  me  in  a  minute,"  thought  Frank, 
and  he  began  a  new  movement — turning  sud- 
215 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

denly,  he  swam  straight  for  the  shark,  arms  and 
legs  going  like  miniature  paddle-wheels.  It  was 
a  bold  move,  and  life  or  death  depended  on  its 
success  or  failure.  Straight  at  the  ugly,  cruel 
head  he  swam,  and  directly  away  from  shore. 
For  a  moment  the  shark  lay  still,  its  fins  slowly 
waving,  its  evil  eye  watching  its  enemy;  the 
curved  line  of  the  wicked  mouth  was  partly  vis 
ible.  Nearer  swam  the  boy.  Nearer,  till  he 
could  almost  feel  the  current  set  in  motion  from 
those  powerful  fins.  "  I  am  a  goner,  sure," 
thought  Frank;  but  he  determined  to  play  the 
game  out  to  the  end,  and  kept  on.  AVhere  were 
Kenneth  and  Arthur?  Why  did  they  not  come 
to  his  rescue  ?  he  wondered,  with  a  fearful  dread 
at  his  heart. 

Surely  the  shark  was  backing  away  from  his 
onslaught.  In  spite  of  aching  limbs  and  labor 
ing  lungs,  the  boy  increased  his  efforts,  and  fol 
lowed  after  the  retreating  tiger  of  the  sea.  lie 
had  been  struggling  for  a  long  time,  and  his 
whole  body  ached  with  the  exertion;  he  felt  that 
he  could  not  keep  up  much  longer.  Once,  when 
his  mouth  was  open,  gasping  for  breath,  he  had 
splashed  it  full  of  water,  and  had  had  to  stop  a 
minute  to  cough  it  out.  His  heart  was  beating 
like  a  trip  hammer,  and  each  move  seemed  to 
take  the  last  ounce  of  his  strength. 
218 


FIGHTING  A   MAN-EATING   SHARK 

The  boy  felt  that  he  must  give  up,  and  won 
dered  vaguely  if  a  shark  made  quick  work  of  a 
chap,  and  what  his  people  at  home  would  think  of 
his  end.  Just  as  he  seemed  at  the  very  last  gasp, 
he  felt  the  clutch  of  Kenneth's  hand  on  his  hair, 
and  the  firm  grip  warm  on  his  bare  arm. 

Then,  half  dead  with  fatigue  and  dazed  with 
horror,  the  limp  figure  was  dragged  into  the 
small  boat  by  Kenneth's  sturdy  arms. 

Feebly,  the  exhausted  boy  was  able  to  say: 
"  You  came  in  the  nick  of  time,  old  man;  I  could 
not  have  lasted  much  longer." 

Kenneth  answered  not  a  word,  but  thought 
with  a  shudder  of  how  close  he  had  come  to  mis 
taking  his  friend's  frantic  movements  for  playful 
antics.  He  reached  out  his  hand  and  grasped 
the  other's  fervently — it  was  a  grip  of  thankful 
ness  and  affection  on  both  sides. 

Though  Frank's  escape  was  narrow,  the  re 
covery  of  his  high  spirits  was  almost  immediate, 
and  soon  the  three  friends  were  running  races  on 
the  exposed  sand  bar  as  if  one  of  them  had  never 
been  in  peril  of  his  life,  let  alone  a  short  hour 
before. 

With    the    returning    tide,    the    "  Gazelle " 

straightened  up,  and  after  a  few  strong  pulls  on 

the  anchor,  which  had  been  previously  dropped 

for  that  purpose,  she  slipped  off  into  deep  water. 

217 


A    YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

It  was  still  early  afternoon,  so  with  an  eased  sheet 
and  light  hearts  the  "  Gazelle  "  and  her  gallant 
crew  passed  through  the  channel,  out  on  the  open 
ocean. 

"  Look  at  that  old  lighthouse ;  that's  a  fine 
tower,  but  I  don't  see  any  signs  of  a  lantern." 
Frank  pointed  to  a  tall  shaft  like  a  great  chimney 
that  rose  from  a  cluster  of  palm  trees.  The  yacht 
was  slipping  past  'the  long  point  that  forms  one 
of  the  barriers  between  the  ocean  and  Biscayne 
Bay. 

"  That  must  be  the  old  Cape  Florida  light  a 
fellow  in  Miami  told  me  about,"  said  Ransom, 
gazing  at  the  tall,  graceful  tower  that  pierced 
the  blue. 

"  That  tower  has  a  story  to  tell.  This  place 
was  full  of  Indians,  I  don't  know  how  long  ago, 
and  the  lighthouse  keeper  and  his  assistant,  a 
colored  man,  were  in  mortal  terror  of  them. 
They  thought,  however,  that  they  had  a  safe  re 
fuge,  if  worse  came  to  worse,  in  the  tower.  One 
day  a  big  bunch  of  the  red  savages  came  up  and, 
after  shooting  a  while  at  the  men  in  the  keeper's 
house,  set  it  afire.  To  save  themselves  from 
being  roasted  alive,  the  two  men  took  refuge  in 
the  lighthouse  itself  and  climbed  up  the  long, 
winding  flights  of  wooden  stairs  to  the  lantern 
room  on  top.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  they 
218 


FIGHTING-   A   MAN-EATING   tiHARK 

were  safe,  but  the  ingenious  devils  soon  hit  upon 
the  plan  of  setting  fire  to  the  stairs  and  platforms 
inside  the  tower.  The  door  open  at  the  bottom 
and  top,  the  lighthouse  became  a  veritable  chim 
ney,  and  the  flames  licked  up  the  dry  woodwork 
in  a  flash." 

"Gracious!  What  happened  to  the  men?" 
Frank  interrupted  Kenneth  to  ask. 

"  When  it  got  too  hot  inside,"  Ransom  con 
tinued,  "  and  when  the  platform  they  were  stand 
ing  on  inside  began  to  smoke,  they  climbed  out 
on  that  narrow  little  run-around  outside ;  you  can 
see  it  from  here." 

The  skipper  pointed  to  the  tower  and  the  little 
balcony  running  round  it  near  the  top. 

"  Phew !  That  would  be  an  unpleasant  place 
to  stay  with  a  fire  burning  in  the  tower  inside  and 
a  lot  of  savages  looking  for  your  gore  hanging 
'round  waiting  for  you  to  drop  off." 

"  But  they  didn't  drop  off,"  Kenneth  went  on 
to  say.  "  They  stuck  to  the  little  balcony  till 
the  Indians  got  tired  waiting  and  began  shooting 
at  them  with  their  bows  and  arrows.  The  men 
lay  flat  on  the  boards,  as  close  to  the  bricks  as 
they  could  get,  but  before  long  the  assistant  got 
an  arrow  through  his  heart  and  the  keeper  him 
self  was  shot  in  the  shoulder.  The  Indians, 
thinking  that  both  were  done  for,  went  away, 
219 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

leaving  the  wounded  man  with  the  dead  one, 
high  up  011  a  lonely  tower,  the  only  means  of 
reaching  the  ground  burned  away,  without  food, 
and  entirely  without  shelter." 

"  Did  he  die  up  there?  "  both  of  the  other  boys 
inquired  at  once. 

"  Almost,  but  not  quite.  Some  of  the  settlers 
near,  fearing  trouble,  followed  the  Indians  in 
force,  and  a  daring  chap  climbed  up  the  charred 
stumps  of  the  supports  inside  the  tower,  and  low 
ered  the  body  of  the  negro  and  the  almost  lifeless 
keeper  to  the  ground." 

"What  a  story!"  Frank  shuddered  as  he 
looked  at  the  tall  shaft. 

"  But  it's  true.  The  place  has  never  been 
used  since.  See,  there's  no  sign  of  life  there." 

The  boys  watched  the  tower  till  it  sank  below 
the  curve  of  the  earth,  and  for  a  long  time  sat 
silent,  thinking  of  the  keeper's  awful  plight. 

Rounding  Cape  Florida,  the  yacht  sailed  north 
along  the  treacherous  East  Coast  of  Florida.  With 
scarcely  any  harbor  and  a  strong  sea  beating  stead 
ily  on  shore,  the  boys  watched  with  dread  for  the 
"  glistening  calm,"  when  the  wind  dies  out  sud 
denly,  leaving  a  heavy  sea  setting  in  to  shore. 
But  luck  was  with  them,  and  three  clays  after 
leaving  Biscayne  Bay  they  had  reached  St. 
Lucie's  inlet  to  Indian  River,  and  were  standing 
220 


FIGHTINa  A   MAN-EATING   SHARK 

off  and  on  before  the  thundering  breakers  that 
guarded  the  pass  to  the  calm  water  beyond. 

On  the  chart,  laid  out  in  beautiful  lines,  clear 
figures,  and  delicate  shadings,  the  course  through 
those  raging  billows  was  plain  enough  to  the 
haven  beyond;  but  the  real  look  of  the  place  was 
very  different. 

"  Well,  boys,  shall  we  do  it?"  Kenneth's  mind 
was  already  made  up,  but  he  wanted  the  con 
firmation  of  his  friends.  "  It's  win  out  or  bust, 
you  know." 

"  The  chart  says  that  there's  water  enough.  I 
am  willing  to  risk  it."  Pluck  was  Prank's  long 
suit,  that  was  sure. 

"  Water  enough?  I  should  say  so."  Arthur 
gazed  at  the  spouting  breakers,  which  stormed 
the  beach  like  ranks  of  white-plumed  warriors. 
"  I  am  game,  if  Ken  says  so." 

For  answer,  Kenneth  shifted  the  helm  and 
headed  straight  for  the  seething  breakers. 

Arthur  went  forward  and  clung  to  the  rigging 
to  watch  for  the  channel  marks,  while  Frank  lay 
aft  with  the  skipper  to  tend  sheets  and  be  handy 
for  any  emergency.  The  hatches  were  closed 
tight  and  all  movable  gear  lashed  down. 

Like  a  war  horse  eager  for  the  fray,  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "    dashed   for   the   first   line    of   tumbling 
watery  breastworks.     Rising  like  a  gull  on  the 
221 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

uplift  of  the  first  wave,  she  topped  it  and  swung 
down  into  its  trough  and  then  up  the  slope  of  the 
next.  Straight  as  an  arrow,  steady  and  sure  as 
the  sweep  of  a  true  wind,  the  yacht  slipped  over 
the  white  crests  of  the  great  waves  one  after  the 
other,  on  through  the  narrow,  troubled  waters  of 
the  inlet,  to  the  calmer  waters  of  Indian  River. 

"  Say,  that  was  just  great,"  was  Frank's  honest 
compliment  to  the  boat's  performance.  "  I'd 
like  to  do  that  again."  The  faces  of  all  three 
were  damp  from  the  salt  spray  and  shining  with 
exhilaration  and  enthusiasm. 

As  Kenneth  was  about  to  drop  his  anchor,  his 
eye  caught  sight  of  a  queer-looking  craft  that 
was  gliding  over  the  smooth  water  in  the  rapidly- 
deepening  dusk. 

"  Let's  travel  along  with  our  friend  over 
there,"  he  said,  pointing  to  the  strange  vessel. 
"  She  may  be  able  to  give  us  some  pointers  about 
this  creek." 

The  "  Gazelle  "  was  the  faster  sailer,  and  had 
just  about  come  abeam  of  the  stranger,  when 
they  heard  her  anchor  go  overboard.  The  yawl's 
mud-hook  immediately  followed  suit.  "While 
Frank  was  getting  the  supper,  the  skipper  and 
his  mate  rowed  over  to  what  proved  to  be  a  broad- 
beamed  sharpie.  After  hailing,  the  boys  were 
invited  to  come  aboard  by  the  one  person  visible. 
222 


F I  OH  TIN  a  A   MAN-EATING    SHARK 

Climbing  a  ladder  thrown  over  her  square  sides, 
the  two  found  themselves  in  a  very  comfortable 
cabin  lined  with  shelves,  on  which  were  ranged, 
in  orderly  rows,  the  stock  of  a  well-appointed 
grocery  store. 

The  skipper-proprietor  was  a  jovial  fellow,  hav 
ing  the  characteristics  of  both  of  his  trades — the 
trader's  Yankee  shrewdness  and  love  of  gossip, 
combined  with  the  open,  hearty,  yarn-spinning 
qualities  of  the  sailor.  He  gave  Ransom  and 
his  friend  many  useful  hints  about  navigating 
Indian  River,  with  every  shoal  and  indentation 
of  which  he  was  familiar,  and  ended  by  selling 
them  quite  a  stock  of  provisions.  "  Combining 
business  with  pleasure,"  he  said,  as  he  handed 
Arthur  the  packages — flour,  salt,  sugar,  and 
coffee. 

Next  morning,  the  two  boats  travelled  along 
in  company  for  a  time,  then,  as  the  sailor-grocery 
man  stopped  to  solicit  a  customer  ashore,  the 
"  Gazelle  "  sped  on  alone. 

Sailing  along  the  queer,  elongated,  inland  bay- 
like  river  was  not  an  unmixed  pleasure.  A  para 
dise  for  fishermen  it  was;  also  the  haunt  of  mos 
quitoes  that  were  provided  with  bills  long  and 
strong  enough  to  "  pierce  anything  and  clinch 
on  the  other  side."  The  crew  was  compelled 
to  live  in  the  smoke  of  burning,  'half -dried  cocoa- 
223 


A   YEAR   IN  A   YAWL 

nut  husks  at  times;  but  when  the  captain  could 
stand  this  no  longer,  he  resorted  to  an  invention 
of  his  own.  Wrapping  himself  in  a  blanket  up 
to  his  neck,  Kenneth  stuck  his  head  into  a  large 
tin  cracker  box  which  he  had  pierced  full  of  holes 
and  draped  with  cheese  cloth.  Though  it  was 
like  a  continuous  Turkish  bath  in  the  tropical 
weather,  the  skipper  declared  that  it  was  better 
to  steam  than  to  be  eaten  alive. 

To  compel  yachtsmen  to  make  use  of  their  ser 
vices,  the  watermen  were  in  the  habit  of  destroy 
ing  the  channel  marks,  so  our  sailors  spent  much 
time  sounding  out  the  deep  water — a  task  which 
the  hot  sun  and  the  voracious  mosquitoes  made 
far  from  pleasant. 

Mosquito  Lagoon  is  reached  from  Indian 
River  by  what  is  called  Haul  Over  Canal,  once 
in  good  repair,  but  when  the  "  Gazelle  "  nosed 
her  way  to  it  she  found  that  it  was  half  filled  with 
sand,  and  too  shallow  to  allow  her  to  pass 
through. 

It  was  a  question  whether  they  would  retrace 
their  steps  or  dredge  a  deeper  channel  through 
the  sixty-foot-wide  'bar  to  the  short  cut. 

The  discovery  of  the  old  blade  of  a  cultivator 

among  the  junk  of  the  ballast  helped  the  boys  to 

decide  in  favor  of  dredging  a  channel.     For  two 

days  they  worked  waist  deep  in  the  water,  the 

224 


FIGHTING-  A   MAN-EATING   SHARK 

hot  sun  beating  on  their  backs  and  necks,  the 
mosquitoes  humming  a  merry  tune  in  their  ears, 
and  the  stinging  "  sea  nettles/'  or  jelly  fish,  irri 
tating  the  skin  of  arms  and  legs.  Added  to  these 
discomforts  was  the  constant  danger  of  being 
stung  by  the  "  stingaree,"  whose  slightest  touch 
means  a  poisoned  wound  and  sometimes  fearful 
suffering  and  death. 

But  the  "  Haul  Over "  was  completed  at 
length,  and  the  crew  shouted  themselves  hoarse 
when  the  "  Gazelle  "  floated  in  the  deep  water 
of  Mosquito  Lagoon. 

Game  of  all  sort  abounded  in  the  lagoon.  The 
waters  teemed  with  brilliantly  hued  fish.  Her 
ons  and  flamingoes  were  frequently  seen  stalking 
about  at  a  distance  in  their  ridiculous  disjoint- 
edly  dignified  fashion,  while  pelicans,  their  huge 
pouches  distended  with  fish,  were  everywhere. 

After  leaving  !New  Smyrna,  which  claims  to 
be  the  oldest  town  in  the  United  States,  and 
proudly  shows  an  old  mission  to  substantiate  it, 
the  yacht  reached  the  outlet  to  the  ocean.  An 
ugly  place,  through  Avhich  the  water  rushed  in 
never-ceasing  fury.  Jagged  rocks  fretted  the 
water  into  foam  in  every  direction ;  and  blocking 
the  channel  at  one  side,  lay  the  boiler  of  a 
wrecked  steamboat;  beyond,  the  breakers  roared 
as  if  hungry  for  their  prey. 
15  225 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 


On  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  the 
"  Gazelle  "  slowly  approached  the  inlet,  while 
her  crew  prepared  for  the  struggle.  With  every 
thing  snug,  rigging  as  taut  as  the  nerves  of  the 
skipper  and  his  crew,  the  gallant  little  ship  swept 
to  the  battle. 


CHAPTEK  XIII 

A  THRILLING  FOURTH  OF  JULY  CELEBRATION 

With  everything  drawing,  the  "  Gazelle " 
rounded  the  point  which  had  obscured  the  view 
of  the  inlet,  and  then  her  crew  got  the  first  clear 
sight  of  the  danger  they  were  so  soon  to  en 
counter.  There  flowed  the  strip  of  water  con 
necting  lagoon  with  ocean,  running  out  to  the 
parent  sea  like  a  mill  race  j  for  the  tide  was  on  the 
ebb.  When  the  racing  current  and  the  incom 
ing  breakers  met,  there  was  a  crash  that  could  be 
heard  an  incredible  distance;  spray  was  hurled 
high  in  air,  and  the  watery  foes  seemed  to  dash 
each  other  to  vapor!  To  the  left  of  the  channel 
was  the  black  dome  of  the  boiler  of  a  wrecked 
boat,  blocking  half  the  passage. 

Right  through  this  must  the  "  Gazelle  "  go. 
Could  she  get  past  the  huge  obstructing  cylinder 
of  iron?  Would  she  live  to  get  through  those 
terrifying,  battling  seas?  These  questions  each 
boy  asked  himself  as  the  yacht,  answering  her 
helm,  readily  pointed  her  bowsprit  straight  for 
227 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

the  opening.  With  "  Old  Glory  "  flapping  at  the 
peak  in  honor  of  Independence  Day,  she  flew 
swiftly  on.  A  good  breeze  was  blowing,  and, 
aided  by  the  swift  ebb  tide,  the  good  boat  was 
soon  in  the  midst  of  the  fray.  On  they  sped, 
with  wind  and  tide  aiding,  the  "  Gazelle  "  sim 
ply  flying  until  she  was  well  on  her  way  in  the 
vortex  of  the  racing  chute.  Just  before  loomed 
the  huge  round  dome  of  the  boiler,  and  the 
breakers  warred  beyond.  All  was  going  well, 
when  suddenly  the  wind  failed,  arid  Kenneth, 
looking  up  to  note  the  cause,  saw  a  great  sand- 
dune  that  rose  a  barrier  to  the  friendly  breeze. 
The  yacht,  carried  by  the  tide  alone,  moved  on 
until  she  reached  the  first  roller,  which  struck 
her  fairly  forward,  twisting  her  around  so  that 
she  rolled  in  the  trough  of  the  sea. 

The  boys  realized  that  if  help  did  not  come 
immediately,  they  were  doomed  to  destruction, 
either  by  being  dashed  to  pieces  against  the  boiler, 
or  by  being  carried  broadside  into  the  breakers 
and  then  being  hammered  to  fragments.  With  no 
wind  to  give  steerage  way,  they  were  utterly  help 
less.  Nearer  and  nearer  the  yacht  drifted,  nearer 
to  encounter  the  two  perils.  The  national  ensign 
hung  at  the  peak  limp  and  dispirited;  and  Ken 
neth,  watching  it  to  see  if  some  stray  breeze 
might  not  straighten  out  its  drooping  stripes, 
228 


"OLD 


CAPE    FLORIDA    LIGHTHOUSE."—  (Page    219.) 


A    THRILLING   FOURTH    OF  JULY    CELEBRATION 

wondered  if  their  luck  had  failed  them  at  last. 
All  was  done  that  could  be  done — the  three 
youngsters  were  in  the  hands  of  Providence ;  and 
the  skipper  watched  "  Old  Glory,"  dimly  feeling 
that  it  was  a  sort  of  talisman  that  would  bring 
rescue. 

Nearer  and  nearer  they  drifted  to  the  great 
iron  dome;  louder  and  louder  sounded  the  surf. 
Then,  a  miracle!  The  flag  moved  as  if  stirred 
by  an  invisible  hand,  the  outer  corner  napped, 
the  stripes  straightened  out,  and  the  blue  field  of 
the  jack  stood  flat — the  succoring  breeze  had 
come !  It  was  close  work,  but  the  "  Gazelle  " 
might  yet  be  saved.  If  she  could  be  got  about  in 
time  she  would  just  scrape  the  boiler  and  take 
the  breakers  head  on. 

With  a  warning  cry  to  Arthur,  who  stood  for 
ward,  Kenneth  threw  the  helm  hard  over,  and 
the  mate  let  go  the  jib.  Swift  and  light  as  a 
dancer  the  good  boat  spun  about,  filled,  and 
streaked  off  on  the  other  tack.  Just  clearing  the 
boiler,  she  headed  into  the  combing  waves  that 
rose  high  against  the  blue  sky.  For  an  instant 
she  struggled  against  the  rush  of  flying  spume, 
her  canvas  drawing  bravely;  then  she  forged  on, 
breasting  the  hill  of  water.  For  another  instant 
she  was  enveloped  in  foam,  then  shaking  herself 
free  she  dashed  into  the  next,  and  so  on  to  safety. 
229 


A   TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

Though  drenched  from  masthead  down,  she  rode 
the  great  seas  to  the  rolling  billows  of  outer 
ocean,  and  "  Old  Glory  "  snapped  triumphantly 
at  the  peak. 

Beyond  the  breakers  all  was  plain  sailing. 
The  rollers  were  high  and  long,  but  the  great 
hill-like  slopes  were  gradual,  and  the  "  Gazelle  " 
coasted  up  and  down  them  with  a  lightness  and 
ease  that  suggested  wings. 

"  Why  don't  we  celebrate  ?  "  said  Frank  in  an 
aggrieved  tone. 

Three  rousing  cheers  and  a  tiger  rang  out  in 
response,  and  several  rounds  were  fired  from  the 
ship's  miniature  cannon,  which  made  up  in  fuss 
what  it  lacked  in  feathers. 

It  was  good  to  be  sailing  on  the  broad  Atlantic, 
where  the  sand-bars  ceased  to  trouble  and  the 
mosquito  did  not  exist.  The  water  traversed  was 
constantly  changing.  Inland  sound  succeeded 
open  gulf,  'and  boundless  ocean  followed  inland 
waters.  There  was  no  danger  of  monotony,  for 
the  problems  of  navigation  were  constantly  aris 
ing  to  the  young  navigators.  Hour  after  hour 
the  yacht  sailed  along,  rising  and  falling  on  the 
swinging  sea.  The  land  was  a  mere  irregular 
line  on  the  horizon,  which  disappeared  now  and 
then  as  a  rising  hill  of  water  hid  it  from  the 
sight  of  the  crew, 

230 


A    THRILLING  FOURTH   OF  JULY   CELEBRATION 

As  the  sun  sank  over  the  distant  land,  the 
clouds  arose  until  they  formed  a  black  mass  that 
shut  out  the  light  and  cast  a  heavy  gloom  over 
all. 

"  We're  in  for  the  usual  Fourth  of  July  storm, 
I  guess."  The  captain  looked  rather  anxiously 
at  the  gathering  clouds. 

"  Can  we  make  harbor  before  it  strikes  us? " 
Arthur  inquired. 

"  We'll  try  it,"  Kenneth  answered,  and  suit 
ing  the  action  to  the  word,  he  eased  his  sheets 
and  headed  directly  for  shore. 

The  force  of  the  wind  increased  as  they  drew 
nearer  the  shore ;  they  were  flying  along  in  com 
pany  with  the  scraps  of  water  snatched  from  the 
wave  crests.  The  clouds  grew  heavier  and  more 
dense,  and  the  light  fainter  and  fainter,  until  the 
boys  could  no  longer  make  out  the  marks  leading 
to  harbor. 

For  a  few  minutes  Kenneth  held  on  the  same 
course;  then,  as  the  light  grew  dimmer  and  dim 
mer,  and  the  wind  gathered  weight  every  min 
ute,  he  wondered  whether  it  would  be  possible  to 
make  harbor. 

"  We'll  be  on  shore  in  a  minute,  and  I  can 

hardly  make  out  that  point  now,"  the  skipper  said 

as  he  looked  long  into  the  gloom.     "  I  would 

rather  be  out  at  sea  than  near  an  unknown  coast 

331 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

with  an  on-shore  gale  like  this  blowing;  are  yon 
with  me,  boys? " 

"  Sure !  "  Arthur  and  Frank  answered  to 
gether  in  a  single  breath. 

The  "  Gazelle's  "  helm  was  put  down  and  she 
started  in  her  fight  to  windward.  Not  until  they 
faced  the  wind  did  the  boys  realize  how  hard 
it  was  blowing;  the  spray  dashed  into  their  faces 
cut  like  knives,  and  the  roaring  was  almost 
deafening.  Slowly  but  steadily  the  "  Gazelle  " 
thrust  her  way  into  the  wind  and  away  from  the 
thundering  breakers.  Soon  heaven's  pyrotech 
nics  began,  and  the  boys  on  their  wee  chip  of  a 
boat,  on  an  ocean  dashed  to  foam,  were  treated 
to  an  exhibition  of  fireworks  that  threw  into  the 
shade  all  the  poor  efforts  of  man  to  do  honor  to 
the  nation's  birthday.  It  was  rather  terrifying, 
but  when  the  thunder  ceased  and  the  rain 
stopped,  the  air  had  such  a  clean,  washed  smell, 
that  the  boys  were  glad  to  be  out  in  it,  though  all 
hands  were  wet  to  the  skin  and  the  yacht's  sails 
dripped  like  trees  after  a  heavy  rainfall.  It  was 
late  when  harbor  was  made,  and  all  hands  were 
glad  enough  when  things  were  ship-shape  and 
they  could  turn  in  for  the  night,  declaring,  each 
one,  from  captain  to  cook,  that  the  Fourth  had 
been  fitly  celebrated. 

A  few  days  later,  the  "  Gazelle  "  anchored  off 
232 


A    THRILLING  FOURTH    OF  JULY    CELEBRATION 

St.  Augustine,  that  ancient  city  of  the  Spaniards, 
and  modern  winter  resort.  Now  it  was  deserted 
by  its  Northern  visitors,  but  it  still  hummed 
in  a  subdued  sort  of  way,  unexcited  by  the 
hope  of  Northern  dollars.  Kenneth  and  his 
friends  found  that  even  in  summer  the  habit 
of  charging  three  prices  still  clung  to  the 
people  of  the  town,  so  they  made  haste  to  get 
away. 

Straight  out  to  sea  the  young  mariners  went, 
planning  to  make  port  at  Fernandina,  nearly  on 
the  line  dividing  Georgia  and  Florida.  It  was  a 
longer  run  than  the  captain  had  anticipated,  and 
it  was  nearly  dark  when  they  came  near  to  "  the 
haven  where  they  would  be." 

"  What  do  you  say,  boys,"  Kenneth  inquired 
of  his  companions;  "  shall  we  try  for  it?  " 

"  It  is  getting  pretty  dark,"  suggested  Frank. 
"  Can't  see  the  buoys  marking  the  channel." 

"  That's  right;  look  at  the  glass,  Art," 

"  Going  down  like  thunder,"  reported  the 
mate  emphatically. 

"  Let's  try  for  it,"  said  Arthur. 

"  I'd  rather  be  in  harbor  if  we  are  going  to 
have  another  Fourth  of  July  storm,"  Frank  sug 
gested,  changing  his  ground. 

"  Well,  I'm  sorry  to  go  against  the  judgment 
of  you  fellows,  but  I  think  that  we  had  better 
233 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

stay  outside  than  run  up  against  a  lot  of  shoals 
in  the  dark  we  know  nothing  about." 

The  captain  pronounced  his  opinion  with  an 
air  of  one  who  has  considered  the  subject  and 
lias  finally  made  up  his  mind. 

Though  the  other  two  disagreed  with  Ken 
neth,  they  had  long  ago  realized  that  there  must 
be  a  head  'to  an  expedition  like  this,  and  they 
were  willing  to  abide  by  the  skipper's  judgment. 

"  All  right,  old  man,"  Frank  replied.  "  Shall 
I  hang  out  the  side  lights? " 

"  Please.  Light  up  the  drug  store."  Frank 
winced  at  this  ancient  joke,  and  went  below  to 
fill  and  trim  the  red  and  green  lights. 

The  little  thirty-foot  yacht,  with  her  precious 
freight,  continued  her  course  out  to  sea  in  spite 
of  the  falling  barometer  and  the  almost  absolute 
surety  of  a  storm  to  come.  It  was  surely  a  bold 
thing  to  do — many  a  skipper, of  a  larger  craft 
would  have  hesitated  before  going  out  upon  the 
open  ocean  in  the  face  of  a  storm  at  night,  when 
harbor  was  so  close  at  hand.  But  Kenneth  had 
absolute  confidence  in  the  vessel  he  had  so 
thoroughly  tested  and  in  the  courage  of  his  tried 
and  true  companions. 

Not  till  midnight  did  the  storm  reach  its 
height;  then  the  "  rains  descended,  and  the  floods 
came."  The  wind  blew  a  fearful  gale,  and  the 
234 


A    THRILLING   FOURTH    OF  JULY   CELEBRATION 

pitchy  blackness,  rent  at  times  by  vivid  lightning, 
closed  in  around  the  tossing  yacht  like  a  mighty 
hand. 

Only  those  who  have  passed  through  one  of 
the  sudden  storms  which  arise  so  frequently  in 
those  waters  can  form  any  idea  of  its  vicious 
fury.  The  wind  shrieked,  the  waves  increased 
in  power  and  volume,  until  the  "  Gazelle  "  sank 
out  of  sight  behind  them,  or  was  raised  to  a  dizzy 
pinnacle  from  which  she  coasted  down,  her  bow 
sprit  pointing  almost  directly  to  the  bottom. 
The  wind-driven  rain  cut  so  that  it  was  impos 
sible  to  face  it ;  and  though  the  boys  were  clad  in 
oilskins,  from  closely  tied  souVesters  to  bare 
ankles,  the  wet  penetrated  the  seams,  ran  down 
their  necks,  and  drenched  them  through  and 
through.  All  hands  were  on  watch  that  night; 
the  hatches  were  battened  down  tight.  They 
tried  their  best  to  keep  to  windward,  but  the 
tossing  of  the  boat  shook  them  round  the  narrow 
cockpit  like  dice  in  a  box.  Conversation  was  im 
possible  ;  the  wind  snatched  the  words  from  their 
mouths  and  carried  them  out  of  hearing  in 
stantly.  All  was  dark  except  for  the  fitful  flash 
of  lightning  and  the  dim  radiance  of  the  bin 
nacle  lamp  in  Kenneth's  face  as  he  swayed  over 
it  to  watch  his  course. 

One,  two,  three  hours  passed,  and  the  fury  of 
235 


A   TEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

the  storm  increased.  It  was  a  terrible  strain  on 
the  young  mariners,  and  each  wondered  in  his 
inmost  heart  if  they  would  come  out  of  it  alive. 
Somehow,  they  did  not  quite  believe  they  would. 
Battered  and  bruised,  wet,  chilled,  and  utterly 
weary  of  buffeting  with  wave  and  wind,  they 
clinched  their  teeth  and  by  sheer  force  of  will 
kept  up  their  courage. 

"What's  that?"  Kenneth's  voice  sounded 
weak  and  far  off,  but  the  accent  was  sharp  and 
anxious  for  all  that,  and  unmistakable. 

There  was  a  sharp  crack  that  the  three  heard 
clearly  above  the  howling  wind  and  snarling  sea. 
Something  had  parted,  some  vital  part  had  given 
way.  The  "  Gazelle "  sailed  less  surely,  she 
staggered  up  the  steep  sea  slopes  more  heavily. 
Anxiously  the  three  boys  looked  forward,  up 
ward,  all  around  to  find  the  cause;  they  dared 
not  stand  up  to  investigate,  they  could  only  look 
and  long  for  a  lightning  flash  to  reveal  the 
damage. 

"  There,  look!  "  Frank  shouted,  and  rose  half 
way  to  his  feet,  only  to  be  dashed  violently  to  the 
deck  again. 

A  flash  showed  that  the  main  gaff  had  broken 
in  the  middle,  and  was  flapping  heavily  against 
the  stout  canvas  of  the  mainsail. 

The  three  boys  stared  at  each  other  question- 


A   THRILLING  FOURTH   OF  JULY   CELEBRATION 

ingly,  though  only  an  occasional  flash  of  light 
ning  revealed  their  faces.  Each  knew  that  some 
thing  must  be  done — that  unless  the  mainsail  was 
lowered  very  soon  it  would  be  torn  to  tatters  by 
the  jagged  ends  of  the  broken  gaff;  or  the  broken 
spar  banging  around  with  the  swaying  of  the 
yacht  might  injure  some  of  the  standing  rigging 
and  weaken  the  mainmast  stays. 

The  tempest  had  not  abated  in  the  slightest, 
the  wind  still  roared  a  gale,  and  the  rain  came 
down  in  a  steady  flood;  the  "  sea  rose  mountains 
high." 

"  Take  the  stick,  Arthur."  Kenneth  made  a 
funnel  of  his  hands  and  roared  to  the  mate.  He 
had  conceived  a  plan  to  reach  the  halliards  at  the 
foot  of  the  mast  and  lower  the  broken  stick.  Haz 
ardous  as  the  plan  was,  it  must  be  done. 

Kenneth  tied  a  stout  line  around  his  body, 
and,  taking  a  turn  round  a  cleat  close  to  the 
companionway,  he  gave  the  end  to  Frank. 

"  Pay  out  slowly,  but  be  sure  you  keep  a  turn 
so  that  if  I  should  go  overboard  you'd  have  me — 
see?  "  Kenneth  shouted  in  his  friend's  ear.  The 
other  answered  that  he  understood,  and  grasped 
the  skipper's  arm  a  second,  a  token  of  devotion 
and  confidence  that  had  a  world  of  meaning  in  it. 

Grasping  the  windward  rail  that  ran  round  the 
roof  of  the  cabin,  Kenneth,  flat  on  his  face,  be- 
237 


A   YEAR  IN  A    JAWL 

gan  the  perilous  journey.  It  was  scarcely  fifteen 
feet,  a  mere  step,  but  a  journey  to  the  North 
Pole  could  have  hardly  been  more  dangerous. 
Crawling,  creeping,  rolling,  the  boy  painfully 
made  his  way  along.  Frequently  he  was 
drenched  with  water  and  had  i  hold  on  to  the 
slender  rail  with  might  and  main.  The  wind 
beat  the  rain  in  his  face;  the  motion  of  the  yacht 
wrenched  at  his  hands  as  if  trying  to  make  him 
let  go;  the  broken  gaff  slatted  and  slapped  over 
his  head,  threatening  to  fall  and  knock  him 
senseless.  At  length  the  plucky  boy  reached  the 
mast,  and  shouting  to  Frank  to  let  go  the  line, 
lashed  himself  securely  to  it.  Arthur  brought 
the  boat  up  into  the  wind  for  a  moment,  though 
there  was  imminent  danger  of  being  swamped, 
while  Kenneth  let  go  the  halliards  and  the  main 
sail  came  down  with  a  run.  Frank  sheeted  home 
the  lowered  boom,  making  it  solid  in  its  fore  and 
aft  position.  Then  came  the  hardest  part  of  all 
— furling  the  mainsail.  How  it  was  done  Ken 
neth  could  scarcely  tell.  He  came  within  an  ace 
of  being  dashed  overboard  twenty  times;  but  he 
escaped  at  last  to  reach  the  cockpit,  safe  but 
utterly  exhausted.  "  The  Gazelle,"  under  head 
sails  and  jigger  only,  rode  out  the  gale.  Dawn 
showed  the  storm-worn  boys  the  entrance  to  a 
safe  harbor,  into  which  they  thankfully  crept, 
238 


A    THRILLING   FOURTH    OF  JULY    CELEBRATION 

and  for  half  the  day  they  slept  the  deep,  dream 
less  sleep  of  utter  weariness. 

Six  days  later  the  "  Gazelle  "  sailed  into  the 
harbor  of  Savannah,  Kenneth  having  repaired 
the  gaff  in  the  meantime.  She  had  little  of  the 
look  of  a  boat  that  had  passed  through  a  storm 
which  would  have  been  serious  for  a  vessel  five 
times  her  size.  Her  crew,  however,  showed  the 
effect  of  the  battle  with  the  elements;  their 
white  working  suits  were  decidedly  dingy,  and 
the  white  rubber-soled  shoes  they  wore  were 
sorely  in  need  of  pipe-clay. 

The  harbor  of  Savannah  was  full  of  vessels  of 
all  sorts  and  conditions — schooners,  two,  three, 
and  four  masters;  trim  coastwise  steamers,  and  a 
migratory  "  tramp  "  or  two.  Kenneth  took  ad 
vantage  of  the  day  to  examine  as  closely  as  pos 
sible  the  lines  and  construction  of  the  boats  in 
harbor,  and  so  added  to  the  store  of  information 
which  he  had  come  so  far  to  find. 

The  morning  of  the  "  Gazelle's  "  departure  for 
waters  new  an  English  tramp  churned  out  of  the 
harbor.  As  she  went  past  the  yacht,  Kenneth 
and  Arthur,  who  were  on  deck,  noticed  a  man 
working  far  aft,  coiling  down  some  lines.  Sud 
denly  the  man  dropped  his  work,  leaped  the  rail, 
and,  with  arms  high  in  air,  jumped  into  the  seeth 
ing  water.  Arthur,  who  was  nearest,  jumped  in- 
239 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

to  "  His  Nibs/'  cast  loose  the  painter,  and  rowed 
frantically  to  the  place  where  the  man  had  dis 
appeared;  but  before  he  could  reach  the  spot  he 
had  risen,  waved  his  arms,  and  sank  again.  It 
was  hardly  a  minute  before  the  sailor  came  up 
once  more,  but  to  the  anxious  boys  it  seemed 
hours.  He  rose  within  easy  reach  of  the  boat, 
and  grasped  it  with  a  fervor  that  dispelled  the 
idea  of  suicide  at  once.  Arthur  helped  him  in 
and  rowed  him  over  to  the  dock,  where  a  burly 
policeman  arrested  him  for  attempted  suicide. 
The  rescued  man  looked  out  across  the  harbor 
and  saw  his  ship  steaming  off  without  him,  and 
seemed  glad  to  be  within  the  clutch  of  the  law. 
The  Englishman,  for  so  he  proved  to  be,  had 
been  so  attracted  by  the  American  seaport,  that 
he  had  taken  the  risk  of  drowning  for  the  sake 
of  reaching  "  the  land  of  the  brave  and  the  home 
of  the  free." 

Full  of  watermelon  and  in  high  glee,  the 
young  sailormen  in  their  trim  little  ship  weighed 
anchor,  sailed  down  the  Savannah  Kiver,  and  out 
on  the  broad  Atlantic  on  the  way  to  Charleston, 
South  Carolina. 

Two  days  after  leaving  Savannah  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  dropped  anchor  off  Charleston,  and  for 
forty-eight  hours  the  boys  went  from  place  to 
place  in  the  fine  harbor,  visiting  the  various 
240 


A   THRILLING   FOURTH    OF  JULY  CELEBRATION 

points  of  interest.  Fort  Surnter,  into  which  the 
first  shot  of  the  Civil  War  was  fired,  stood  peace 
fully  on  its  island — deserted,  a  mere  relic  of  for 
mer  greatness.  The  yacht  took  shelter  behind  it 
when  a  sharp  squall  came  up  as  she  was  starting 
out  on  her  next  run  northward. 

It  was  the  season  of  squalls,  apparently,  for 
they  had  hardly  been  twenty-four  hours  out 
from  Charleston,  when  Kenneth,  observing  the 
mercury  of  the  barometer  dropping  rapidly,  put 
in  to  the  nearest  harbor,  Bull  Bay,  to  avoid  a 
stormy  night  at  sea.  Instead  of  a  storm,  how 
ever,  the  wind  fell  flat,  and  for  two  days  the 
yacht  was  unable  to  get  out. 

The  harbor  was  a  beautiful  one;  but  the  lack 
of  wind  and  a  blazing  sun  made  life  aboard  al 
most  unendurable. 

"  I'd  give  a  farm  for  an  ice-cream  soda,"  said 
Arthur  wearily. 

Just  then  Frank  came  from  below.  "  I  heard 
you  fellows  say  that  it  was  too  hot  to  eat;  it's 
lucky  you  feel  so,  for  the  larder  is  about  empty." 
Frank  had  been  looking  for  the  wherewithal  to 
get  supper. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  haven't  any 
thing  to  eat?"  said  Kenneth  and  the  mate  al 
most  together — their  appetites  suddenly  return 
ing  with  lamentable  strength. 
16  241 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

"  I've  got  some  beans." 

"What's  the  matter  with  beans?"  Arthur 
appeared  relieved. 

A  movable  oil  stove  with  a  makeshift  top  was 
rigged  on  deck,  in  order  to  give  the  cabin  a 
chance  to  cool,  and  a  pot  containing  the  precious 
beans  was  set  over  to  cook. 

While  the  skipper  and  Frank  went  ashore  to 
explore,  Arthur  stayed  aboard  to  keep  company 
with  the  beans.  The  two  found  what  Frank  de 
clared  to  be  bear  tracks,  and  for  some  distance 
they  followed  them ;  but  Bruin  did  not  show  him 
self.  Eeturning  to  the  yacht,  they  found  Arthur 
still  brooding  over  the  beans,  and  since  there  was 
scarcely  anything  else  to  do,  the  three  boys  sat 
under  the  awning  rigged  over  the  main  boom, 
and  did  their  best  to  keep  the  pot  from  boiling  by 
persistent  watching. 

It  was  getting  near  seven  o'clock,  and  the  boys 
were  already  wishing  that  the  beans  were  done, 
when  they  saw  a  little  steamboat  coming  up  the 
bay.  She  looked  familiar,  and  as  she  came  near, 
all  three  boys  watched  to  see  if  they  knew  her. 
At  length  she  drew  abeam,  and  they  read  her 
name  on  the  paddle-box.  A  St.  Augustine  boat 
on  her  way  to  Washington.  The  yacht  and  the 
steamboat  had  left  together,  and  the  yacht  had 
reached  Bull  Bay  two  days  ahead.  The  boat 
242 


A    THRILLING   FOURTH    OF  JULY  CELEBRATION 

went  on  her  way,  and  the  boys  were  congratu 
lating  themselves  on  their  good  speed,  when  the 
swells  from  the  steamboat  began  to  come  rolling 
in.  The  "  Gazelle  "  commenced  to  sway.  "  The 
beans/7  cried  Arthur,  and  reached  for  the  handle 
of  the  pot.  Alas,  too  late!  the  thing  tottered  and 
fell  overboard,  and  Arthur,  thinking  of  nothing 
but  the  precious  food  about  to  be  lost,  reached 
far  out  after  it.  A  big  roller  coming  in  at  that 
precise  instant  tipped  him  over,  too,  and  he  went 
head  first  right  into  the  pot  full  of  beans  that 
had  not  yet  had  time  to  sink. 

Arthur  rose  to  the  surface  the  sorriest  looking 
creature  that  a  mere  human  being  could  ever 
manage  to  be.  His  hair  was  plastered  with  beans, 
his  face  framed  with  them,  and  the  expression 
on  his  countenance  was  woebegone  in  propor 
tion  to  the  unpleasantness  of  his  predicament. 
Frank  and  Kenneth  roared  with  laughter,  but 
Arthur,  probably  not  having  the  same  sense  of 
humor  under  the  circumstances,  did  not  see  the 
joke,  and  the  annoyance  on  his  dismal,  bean- 
beplastered  face  added  greatly  to  their  mirth. 

Supplies  must  be  procured  at  once,  somehow, 
somewhere,  or  the  crew  would  be  in  danger  of 
starving  to  death;  so  the  young  sailors  took  ad 
vantage  of  the  rising  wind  to  get  out  of  Bull 
Bay  and  continue  their  journey. 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

The  weather  conditions  were  of  .the  best  when 
Kenneth  and  Arthur  turned  in,  so  Frank  took 
the  helm  alone.  The  pale  gleam  of  the  starlit 
sky  served  but  to  emphasize  the  darkness,  and 
Frank,  steering  far  out  to  sea  to  avoid  the  long 
bar  of  Cape  Romain,  found  it  hard  to  keep  awake. 
It  was  very  late  at  night,  and  Arthur  and  Ken 
neth  were  below,  sleeping  soundly,  when  they 
were  both  awakened  by  a  loud  cry  from  Frank. 

Kenneth  rushed  on  deck  just  as  the  "Gazelle" 
rose  on  the  crest  of  a  great  breaker. 

"  Put  her  about/7  he  shouted.  "  We're  going 
ashore.  Quick!  " 

Frank  put  the  tiller  hard  over,  and  the  yacht, 
responding,  spun  round,  the  boom  came  over 
swiftly,  and,  taking  Kenneth  unawares,  knocked 
him  overboard. 

"Arthur!  "  Frank  yelled  down  the  compan- 
ionway,  "  come  up;  Ken's  overboard!  " 


244 


CHAPTEE  XIV 

A  EACE  WITH  A  GALE 

"Ken,  where  are  you?"  Frank's  voice  was 
almost  drowned  by  the  roaring  of  the  breakers. 

It  was  totally  dark,  and  though  both  boys 
strained  their  eyes  to  the  utmost,  not  a  sign  could 
they  see  of  the  skipper,  who  had  vanished  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye — knocked  out  of  existence, 
seemingly,  by  the  swinging  blow  of  the  boom. 

Again  they  shouted,  in  unison  this  time. 
Surely  Kenneth  must  hear  them,  they  thought, 
if  he  was  still  alive  and  above  water. 

"Hulloa!  "     The  voice  was  startlingiy  near. 

The  two  looked  about  quickly  in  the  direction 
from  wrhich  the  sound  came,  and  beheld  the  skip 
per  hanging  on  to  the  end  of  the  boom,  far  to 
leeward;  his  white  nightgown  wet  and  clinging 
to  his  long  legs,  which  were  waving  frantically 
in  the  effort  to  help  their  owner  to  crawl  along 
the  boom  towards  the  yacht.  From  time  to  time, 
as  the  yawl  rolled,  the  clinging  figure  was  dipped 
in  the  sea,  and  then  as  suddenly  dragged  out  and 
245 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

swung  about  like  a  wet  rag  on  the  end  of  a 
stick. 

Tor  a  minute  Frank  and  Arthur  stood  stupe 
fied,  then  the  humor  of  the  situation  dawning  on 
them  they  began  to  laugh. 

This  Was  too  much  for  Kenneth's  patience, 
and  he  shouted  wrathfully: 

"  Trim  in  that  sheet  and  help  me  in,  will  you, 
you  duffers?  Do  you  think  I  am  doing  this  for 
your  amusement?  " 

So  they  hauled  in  the  boom  and  the  dangling 
captain  with  it,  and  landed  him  safely  on  deck 
without  a  scratch. 

With  her  head  turned  away  from  the  shoal,  the 
"  Gazelle  "  ran  off  into  deeper  water.  It  was  a 
narrow  escape  for  all  hands,  but  especially  so  for 
Ransom,  whose  quickness  in  grasping  the  spar 
as  it  swung  over  saved  his  life.  Soon  he  could 
laugh  with  the  boys  over  his  funny  appearance. 
But  he  realized,  as  they  could  not,  by  what  a  nar 
row  margin  he  escaped. 

After  rounding  Cape  Romain,  the  "  Gazelle  " 
sailed  along  without  a  mishap  of  any  kind  for 
a  day;  then  the  barometer  indicated  that  there 
was  trouble  brewing — in  fact,  the  very  atmos 
phere  had  the  feeling  of  suppressed  excitement 
that  almost  always  precedes  a  severe  storm.  Ran 
som  decided  that  it  would  be  wise  to  get  into  a 
246 


A   RACE   WITH  A   GALE 

sheltered  spot,  so  lie  steered  for  the  mouth  of 
Cape  Fear  River.  It  was  a  most  difficult  place 
to  get  into;  but  once  inside,  the  yacht  was  per 
fectly  protected  from  any  kind  of  s^orm  except, 
perhaps,  a  cyclone. 

No  sooner  had  the  anchor  been  dropped  than 
the  wind  began  to  raise  its  voice  from  the  soft 
whir-r-r  of  the  summer  breeze,  to  the  shrill,  high 
shriek  of  the  gale. 

"  For  once/'  said  the  skipper,  "  my  foresight 
was  better  than  my  hindsight." 

u  Good  work,  old  man.  I  always  knew  you 
were  a  wonder,"  Frank  laughed.  "  All  the  same 
Pm  glad  we're  inside." 

"  Mate,  put  this  man  in  irons.  He  shall  live 
on  bread  and  water  for  ten  days,  due  punishment 
for  insubordination  and  disrespect  for  a  superior 
officer."  Kenneth  put  on  a  very  grave  and  ju 
dicial  air,  but  could  not  quite  control  a  twitch 
ing  of  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  which  enlarged 
to  a  wide  grin  when  the  mate,  in  obedience  to  his 
command,  tackled  the  "  crew,"  and  in  the  scuffle 
that  followed  went  overboard  with  his  prisoner. 

"  Never  mind  the  water,  mate,"  Ransom 
called  when  the  two  dripping  boys  reached  the 
deck.  "  He  has  had  enough  of  that,  perhaps." 

For  a  week  the  "  Gazelle  "  lay  storm-bound 
off  the  little  town  of  Southport,  on  the  Cape  Fear 
247 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

Kiver.  In  spite  of  the  rain  which  fell  almost 
continuously,  the  boys  explored  every  nook  and 
cranny  of  the  harbor,  and  pushed  up  the  shallow 
creeks,  and  examined  the  sand  hills  that  pro 
tected  the  shipping  from  the  onslaught  of  the 
ocean. 

The  Frying-pan  Shoals,  extending  out  into  the 
ocean  from  the  mouth  of  the  Cape  Fear  River, 
are  responsible  for  more  wrecks  than  perhaps  any 
other  reef  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Kenneth  got 
chummy  with  the  pilots  who  make  Southport 
their  headquarters,  and  they  gladly  gave  him 
much  lore  about  the  channels,  beacons,  and  the 
ins  and  outs  of  the  intricate  passages  all  along  the 
coast.  The  government  requires  every  vessel 
above  a  certain  tonnage  to  take  on  a  pilot;  or  to 
be  more  correct,  the  vessels  are  required  to  pay 
the  pilot's  fee  whether  his  services  are  accepted 
or  not.  As  the  channel  is  very  difficult,  and  the 
fee  has  to  be  paid  in  any  case,  the  skippers 
usually  turned  the  responsibility  of  navigating 
their  vessels  into  port  over  to  the  pilot.  The 
charges  are  rated  according  to  the  ship's  depth 
—the  more  water  she  draws,  the  more  difficulty 
is  experienced  in  sailing  her  over  the  bars,  and 
the  pilot's  fee  is  proportionately  large. 

One  day,  Kenneth  and  the  mate  rowed 
against  the  heavy  wind  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the 
248 


A   RACE    WITH   A    GALE 

outer  bar,  and  then  went  over  to  the  Cape  Fear 
Light. 

The  keeper  was  inclined  to  be  churlish  at  first, 
but  as  soon  as  Hansom  began  to  tell  him  a  little 
about  the  cruise,  his  manner  changed  instantly; 
short  answers  and  bored  expression  gave  way  to 
lively  interest  and  voluble  requests  for  more 
experiences. 

u  I  tell  you,  Art,"  Kenneth  began  in  an  aside 
to  the  mate,  "  a  short  yarn  about  the  cruise  is 
worth  a  hundred  open  sesames." 

The  keeper  led  the  two  boys  up  the  winding 
stair  of  the  lighthouse  tower,  and  as  they  went 
round  and  round,  they  could  hear  above  the  ring 
of  their  feet  on  the  iron  steps  the  howling  of  the 
wind  about  the  shaft.  The  power  and  majesty 
of  it  made  them  pause  a  minute  to  listen,  and 
then  they  felt  the  shock  of  the  blast,  which  made 
even  that  sturdy  tower  quiver.  When  the  top 
was  reached,  and  a  clear  unobstructed  view  could 
be  had,  the  breath  of  the  youngsters  was  taken 
away  by  the  awful  fury  of  the  elements  battling 
below  them;  even  the  lighthouse  keeper  was 
awed  by  it,  and  kept  silence.  From  the  beach, 
a  little  below  the  foot  of  the  tower,  seaward,  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach  through  the  mist  and 
spray,  the  ocean  tossed  and  rolled.  Great  hills 
of  water,  green  and  angry,  rose  as  though  pushed 
249 


A   YEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

up  from  below,  their  crests  lashed  into  foam  and 
then  blown  into  vapor  by  the  gale;  wave  suc 
ceeded  wave,  until  a  mighty  host  of  waters,  rank 
on  rank,  impelled  by  the  wind,  dashed  them 
selves  to  foam  on  the  ever-resisting  shore. 

"  Oh,  this  is  a  fierce  place,  and  no  mistake/' 
The  honest  keeper's  words  took  much  of  the  sub 
limity  out  of  the  scene  for  the  boys.  "  And  a 
terrible  place  for  wrecks,"  he  continued.  "  The 
Frying-pan  Shoals  run  out  about  twenty-five 
miles,  and  vessels  are  all  the  time  running  afoul 
of  them." 

"  And  in  weather  like  this?  "  Kenneth  in 
quired. 

The  keeper  made  a  significant  gesture  that 
told,  without  a  word,  the  horrors  of  shipwreck, 
of  the  despairing  efforts  of  the  sailors  to  work  the 
vessel  off  the  lee  shore  when  the  breakers  first 
were  seen  or  heard;  of  the  canvas  blown  to  tat 
ters,  the  dreadful  roar  and  overpowering  rush 
of  the  waves  driving  the  vessel  on  nearer  the 
shoal,  staving  the  boats  and  washing  the  crew 
overboard;  and,  finally,  the  sickening  jar  and 
shuddering  scrape  of  the  ship  on  the  reef.  All 
this  the  boys  saw  as  the  keeper  pointed  to  the 
seething  waters,  and  to  the  ribs  of  a  wrecked  ship 
showing  black  against  the  white  foam  of  the 
breakers. 

250 


A   RACE   WITH   A    GALE 

Many,  many  places  he  pointed  out  to  them 
where  good  ships  rested  never  to  sail  again. 

Arthur  and  Kenneth  went  back  to  the  yacht 
with  solemn  faces  and  thoughtful  minds,  and 
very  thankful  that  the  "  Gazelle  "  lay  peacefully 
at  anchor,  safe. 

Though  the  boys  had  many  pleasant  times 
sailing  about  the  harbor  in  one  of  the  small  boats 
with  which  the  place  was  filled — clamming,  fish 
ing,  and  swapping  stories  with  the  pilots — all 
hands  were  glad  when  the  storm  abated,  and  they 
were  able  to  weigh  anchor  and  sail  out  to  sea. 
The  six-sided  lighthouse  looked  very  different 
when  the  boys  saw  it  the  second  time.  The  inlet 
was  little  troubled  by  the  heavy  rolling  seas  out 
side  and  reflected  the  tall,  straight  shaft  of  the 
Cape  Fear  Light. 

The  wind  had  fallen  to  a  strong,  steady  breeze 
that  kept  the  "  Gazelle  "  going  at  a  splendid 
rate,  under  all  sail  reefed  once.  The  sea  still 
showed  the  effect  of  the  week-long  storm.  Great, 
long  billows  rose  and  fell,  but  the  yacht  coasted 
gaily  over  them  with  many  low  bows  and  grace 
ful  recoveries. 

It  was  a  straightaway  sail  to  Beaufort,  North 
Carolina,  and  the  120  miles  across  the  broad 
curve  in  the  land  offered,  in  all  its  length,  not 
one  good  harbor. 

251 


A    VEAR   IX   A    YAWL 

The  wind  held  true,  and  gradually  the  seas 
flattened  out  until  cruising  became  a  pleasure. 
Old  Ocean  seemed  bent  on  making  the  last  sail 
which  the  boys  should  take  on  its  waters  as  pleas 
ant  as  possible.  The  sun  sank,  and  all  the  skies 
lit  up  in  honor  of  his  departure ;  then  deep  black 
night  succeeded,  with  none  of  the  uncanny  feel 
ing  of  mystery  which  so  ofttimes  comes  with 
darkness,  but  softly  and  peacefully.  The  boys 
felt  that  the  darkness  was  almost  caressing,  like 
a  comfortable  robe  thrown  round  them,  and  they 
looked  forward  to  a  long  night's  sail  with  a  sense 
of  security. 

The  cabin  lamp  was  lighted,  and  the  mellow 
glow  poured  out  through  the  hatch  and  dead 
lights;  the  sailing  lights  blinked  their  red  and 
green  eyes  forward,  warning  other  night  prowl 
ers  of  the  sea.  Arthur  handled  the  tiller,  while 
Frank  and  Kenneth  lounged  easily  on  either  side 
of  the  cockpit.  Arthur  was  sailing  by  compass, 
for  not  a  sign  of  land  could  be  seen — all  was  ut 
terly  dark,  except  where  a  sea  crested  near 
enough  to  catch  the  light  from  one  of  the  lamps. 

Steadily  the  "  Gazelle "  sailed  on,  swaying 
slowly  to  the  swing  of  the  seas,  a  veritable  cradle 
motion.  Kenneth  and  Frank  felt  its  influence 
and  dozed  off;  Arthur's  duty  kept  him  awake, 
but  all  his  resolution  was  required  to  keep  up. 
252 


"THE   TALL,    STRAIGHT    SHAFT    OF   THE    CAPE    FEAR    LIGHT."— (Page  251.) 


A   RACE    WITH   A   GALE 

Suddenly,  out  of  the  gloom  ahead,  loomed  a 
shape,  soft  and  formless — a  huge  shadow  moving 
and  bearing  down  on  the  tiny  "  Gazelle." 

"  Great  Scott!  "  exclaimed  Arthur. 

"What  is  it?"  Kenneth  woke  instantly. 
"  Put  her  over,  quick.  Hurry." 

For  the  first  time  since  her  journeying  began, 
the  yacht  seemed  to  hesitate,  while  the  great 
black  shadow,  which  gradually  assumed  the  form 
of  a  vessel,  bore  swiftly  down  on  her.  It  seemed 
as  if  minutes  had  elapsed  before  the  headsails 
began  to  flap  and  the  yawl  turned  away  from  her 
impending  doom.  Still,  the  great  bulk  bore 
down  on  them  silently,  without  a  light  showing, 
the  swelling  canvas  of  her  sails  just  indicated  by 
a  lighter  shade. 

"  Schooner,  ahoy!  "  Ransom  shouted,  making 
a  megaphone  of  his  hands.  "  You're  running  us 
down.  Bear  up  quick!  " 

A  lantern  showed  high  above  them  on  the  rail 
of  the  schooner,  and  a  woman's  shriek  rang  out, 
clear  and  shrill — an  uncanny  sound  to  hear  at 
such  a  time.  There  was  a  creak  that  told  of  a 
shifted  helm,  and  the  schooner  swung  to  port, 
and  cleared  the  yacht  by  a  few  scant  inches. 

As  the  vessel  slipped  by,  silent  as  a  shadow, 
two  white  faces  showed  over  the  rail  high  above 
the  "  Gazelle."  Not  a  word  of  excuse  did  they 
253 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

utter — probably  too  dazed  by  the  narrow  escape 
to  speak. 

li  Those  people  ought  to  be  jailed/'  growled 
Hansom  in  his  honest  indignation.  "  Sailing 
without  any  light." 

"  Guess  they  learned  their  lesson,  look!  "  Sure 
enough,  there  was  the  red  gleam  of  the  port 
light  glancing  over  the  waves  as  it  was  being- 
fitted  into  its  box. 

The  next  afternoon  the  "  Gazelle  "  sailed  into 
Beaufort  harbor,  and  the  boys  bid  good-by  to 
Old  Ocean.  For  a  thousand  miles  they  had 
sailed  over  its  rough  waters  in  all  sorts  of 
weathers,  in  a  boat  scarcely  thirty  feet  long.  It 
was  an  achievement  to  be  proud  of.  JZot  many 
boys  could  point  to  such  a  record. 

"Oh!  we  are  the  people!  "  said  Frank,  jus 
tifiably  elated.  "  It's  easy  from  now  on;  no  more 
storms,  no  more  breakers,  no  more  broken  spars." 

"  Don't  you  get  a  swelled  head,"  the  skipper 
warned.  "  There  is  always  a  pin  point  ready  for 
every  bubble." 

The  "  Gazelle  "  lay  at  anchor  off  Beaufort  for 
several  days,  while  the  boys  roamed  about  the 
quaint  old  town.  Situated  just  a  little  below 
Cape  Hatteras,  that  terrible  storm  centre,  the 
little  city  got  full  benefit  of  the  stormy  on-shore 
gales,  and  there  were  many  signs  of  the  lashings 
254 


A  RACE   WITH  A   GALE 

it  had  received.  At  one  place  on  Front  Street, 
facing  seaward,  were  some  poplar  trees  whose 
very  name  suggests  unwavering  uprightness,  but 
these  were  bent  in  a  semicircle  over  the  houses 
— a  humble  acknowledgment  of  the  power  of  the 
blast. 

The  harbor  was  full  of  small  craft.  Boats  of 
every  description  flitted  here  and  there,  like 
graceful  white-winged  dragon-flies.  Kenneth, 
for  once  in  his  life,  saw  enough  boats,  and  he  got 
many  ideas  that  he  hoped  to  turn  to  good  account 
later,  when  he,  himself,  should  become  a  full- 
fledged  designer. 

The  night  before  the  "  Gazelle  "  spread  her 
wings  to  continue  her  journey,  the  threeboyswere 
lying  about  on  deck  after  supper  enjoying  the 
evening  breeze.  It  was  just  about  dusk,  and  sky 
and  water  were  assuming  their  most  beautiful 
opalescent  tints.  It  was  a  time  to  encourage  sen 
timent,  and  each  of  the  boys  felt  a  trifle  of  pleas 
ant  sadness  as  they  thought  of  the  far-off  homes 
and  the  loved  ones  there.  Off  in  the  distance 
some  people  were  singing  a  familiar  college  air. 
It  was  all  so  like  some  of  the  evenings  the  boys 
had  spent  off  old  St.  Joe  that  the  unfamiliar 
things  about  them  changed  their  shapes  and  posi 
tions  till  they  almost  dreamed  that  they  were  in 
deed  at  home.  The  voices  came  nearer,  and  a 
255 


A    YEAR   IN  A    YAWL 

trim  white  yacht,  that  carried  the  singers,  rose 
out  of  the  dusk  and  sped  swiftly  towards  them. 
"When  the  two  boats  were  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  each  other,  the  singers  changed  their  tune  to 
"  Michigan,  My  Michigan/' 

This  completed  the  spell,  and  for  the  first  time 
the  captain  and  crew  had  a  genuine  case  of  home 
sickness.  Xeither  of  the  three  boys  dared  to 
look  the  other  in  the  face. 

"<  Gazelle/  ahoy !" 

The  hail  rang  clear  and  sharp  over  the  smooth 
water,  and  its  suddenness  woke  the  boys  from 
their  day  dreams  instantly.  It  was  long  since 
they  had  heard  that  hail. 

"Aye — who  goes  there?"  was  the  answer. 

"A  friend !" 

"  Approach,  friend,  and  let  us  look  at  you." 

The  yacht  swooped  round  the  "  Gazelle's " 
stern  and  headed  up  into  the  wind,  her  sails  flap 
ping.  She  dropped  her  anchor,  and  soon  the 
yawl's  deck  and  cabin  were  filled  with  gay  visi 
tors.  One  of  them  knew  some  of  Kenneth's 
people,  which  acquaintance  both  visitors  and  vis 
ited  considered  quite  sufficient. 

The  boys  hated  to  weigh  anchor  next  morning 
and  leave  the  pleasant  place  and  the  friends  they 
had  just  made,  but  the  thought  of  the  thousands 
of  miles  yet  to  be  traversed  urged  them  on. 
256 


A   RACE   WITH  A   GALE 

"  And  just  think  of  leaving  those  watermelons 
at  two  cents  each!  "  The  sadness  in  Arthur's 
voice  told  of  his  sincere  regret. 

The  first  day's  sail  brought  the  voyagers  to  the 
end  of  Core  Sound.  They  were  just  below  Hatte- 
ras  and  inside,  but  it  looked  as  if  the  stormy  old 
cape  was  not  going  to  allow  them  to  pass  without 
giving  them  an  experience  to  remember  him  by. 
The  wind  was  rising  rapidly  and  the  massing  of 
the  heavy  clouds  cast  a  shadow  over  all. 

"  We're  in  for  another  blow,  I  guess/'  said  the 
skipper,  as  he  pulled  on  his  sticky  oil-skins. 
"  This  old  boat  is  getting  tried  out  pretty  well." 

As  the  "  Gazelle  "  flew  past  the  Royal  Shoal 
light,  the  keeper  and  his  family  waving  good 
luck,  the  gale  was  blowing  its  best  out  of  the  east, 
and,  close-hauled,  she  flew  along  in  a  smother  of 
foam,  her  lee  rail  awash,  her  sails  hard  as  if 
moulded  tin,  her  rigging  taut  and  humming  like 
harp  strings. 

Just  before  she  reached  Gull  Shoal  light,  her 
gaff  snapped  again,  and,  with  reduced  canvas, 
she  hurried  along.  Frank  and  Arthur  lay  for 
ward  to  look  for  channel  marks,  and  for  whatever 
troubles  might  chance,  while  Kenneth  steered. 
The  heavy  clouds  shut  down  on  them  like  night. 
The  darkness  seemed  thick  enough  to  cut,  and 
not  a  thing  could  be  seen  but  the  white-capped 
17  257 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

waves  that  dashed  madly  by  them.  They  were 
like  a  man  who,  being  pursued,  runs  at  full  speed 
through  a  perfectly  dark  passage  that  is  not  fa 
miliar  to  him — he  must  run  on,  yet  he  knows  not 
at  what  moment  he  may  dash  himself  against  a 
wall  or  trip  and  fall  headlong.  It  was  a  time  of 
breathless  excitement  and  constant,  unnerving 
fear  lest  the  yacht,  flying  along  at  almost  railroad 
speed,  should  run  into  one  of  the  numerous 
shoals  that  lay  spread  like  a  net  for  the  unwary, 
and  dash  herself  to  pieces. 

The  heavy  rain  obliterated  every  sign  of  a 
channel  mark,  and  the  thick  storm  clouds  shut  off 
the  sun  as  completely  as  a  total  eclipse.  Ken 
neth  had  to  steer  by  compass  only. 

Frank  and  Arthur  peered  ahead,  their  hands 
raised  to  shield  their  eyes  from  the  driving  rain. 
A  long  shoal  ran  out  into  the  sound,  and  all  hands 
were  trying  to  make  out  the  lighthouse  that 
marked  it. 

Ransom  thought  it  the  hardest  blow  he  had 
ever  known,  and  he  wondered  how  long  the 
sturdy  little  craft  he  sailed  could  stand  the 
strain.  The  wind  tugged  at  the  canvas,  tried  all 
the  stays,  but,  beyond  the  makeshift  gaff,  appar 
ently,  could  find  nothing  vulnerable.  It  seemed 
as  if  the  squall  lasted  hours,  but  when  the  rain 
finally  stopped  and  the  wind  lessened  in  force, 
258 


A  RACE   WITH  A   GALE 

the  boys  saw  the  dim  outlines  of  the  lighthouse 
off  the  port  bow,  and  they  knew  it  could  not  have 
lasted  much  over  two  hours.  As  they  passed  the 
light,  the  keeper  rang  his  bell  in  salute,  and 
shouted  his  congratulations. 

"  It's  the  worst  short  storm  I  have  seen  in 
many  years,"  he  shouted.  "  You're  lucky  to  get 
through  safe." 

When  the  mate  went  below  to  put  on  some  dry 
clothes,  he  looked  at  the  tin  clock,  and  discovered 
that  the  "  Gazelle  "  had  covered  the  distance  be 
tween  the  two  lights — sixteen  miles — in  about 
an  hour  and  a  quarter. 

At  Stumpy  Bay  they  stopped  to  make  a  new 
gaff,  and  then,  after  a  two  days'  lay  off  there, 
they  went  on  to  Coin  Jock,  North  Carolina. 

A  fleet  of  barges,  loaded  with  watermelons, 
going  through  the  canal  leading  through  the  Dis 
mal  Swamp,  to  Norfolk,  offered  to  give  the  boys 
a  tow — an  invitation  which  they  hastened  to  ac 
cept.  Not  till  nine  o'clock  did  the  procession 
start,  with  the  "  Gazelle  "  at  the  end  of  the  long 
line  of  boats.  It  was  a  dark,  lowering  night,  and 
not  a  thing  could  the  boys  see  of  the  country 
through  which  they  were  passing.  The  light  of 
the  boat  ahead  was  their  only  guide. 

The  yacht  was  snapped  to  and  fro  on  the  end 
of  the  long  line  of  boats  like  the  end  boy  on  a 
259 


A    YEAR  IN   A    YAWL 

snap-the-whip  string.  About  midnight  the  rain 
began  to  come  down  in  a  perfect  deluge,  and  the 
word  was  passed  aft  to  each  boat  to  anchor  till 
things  cleared. 

Though  the  boys  could  see  little  but  the  jagged 
outlines  of  the  trees  against  the  stormy  sky,  they 
voted  the  surroundings  dismal  enough  to  merit 
the  name. 

Just  before  daylight,  the  fleet  got  under  way 
again,  the  little  "  Gazelle  "  tagging  on  behind 
like  a  reluctant  boy  hanging  on  to  his  mother's 
hand  when  she  takes  him  shopping. 

At  Norfolk  Ransom  and  his  shipmates  found 
a  goodly  company  of  vessels  of  all  sorts,  all  rigs, 
and  every  nationality.  The  red-and-black  storm 
flag  was  flying  from  every  signal  station  along 
the  coast,  and  the  vessels  had  hastened  to  cover 
in  Hampton  Roads  and  Xorfolk  harbor. 

Returning  from  the  Post  Office,  where  Ken 
neth  and  the  mate  found  a  goodly  batch  of  pre 
cious  home  letters  awaiting  them,  they  had  great 
difficulty  in  making  headway  against  the  gale 
that  was  already  blowing.  The  anchorage 
reached,  they  realized  anew  how  cosey  and  com 
fortable  the  "  Gazelle's  "  cabin  was. 

"  Let's  have  a  watermelon  in  honor  of — well — 
to  celebrate  this  occasion."     It  was  Arthur,  of 
course,  who  suggested  this. 
260 


A  RACE   WITH  A   GALE 

"  In  honor  of  what  occasion?  "  Frank  winked 
at  the  skipper. 

"  The  watermelon  and  the  fellows  who  gave  it 
to  us." 

So  each  boy,  a  section  of  pink  fruit  in  one 
hand  and  a  letter  in  the  other,  began  the  absorb 
ing  process  of  eating  and  reading. 

The  wind  was  playing  high  jinks  outside,  but 
the  young  tars  in  their  snug  cabin  heeded  it  not  a 
bit, 

"Not  till  a  stream  of  pink  melon  juice  squirted 
over  the  written  page  which  he  was  reading,  did 
Kenneth  look  up — his  attention  distracted.  The 
darkness  of  the  cabin  made  him  look  for  the 
cause. 

To  port,  flashes  of  the  gray,  stormy  light  were 
sifting  in  through  the  oval  windows  when  the 
yacht  rose  to  the  top  of  a  wave;  then  he  turned 
to  the  right  and  looked  out.  A  great  black  wall 
shut  off  every  particle  of  light — it  was  as  if  the 
yacht  had  been  built  against  a  high  board  fence. 

Kenneth  jumped  up  and  ran  on  deck. 

"  Look  out,  boys!  "  he  shouted  down  the  hatch 
after  a  moment.  "  The  big  schooner  just  to  star 
board  of  us  is  dragging  her  anchors  and  will  be 
down  on  us  in  a  minute." 


261 


CHAPTER    XV 


When  Arthur  and  Frank  came  on  deck  in  an 
swer  to  Kenneth's  summons,  the  wind  nearly 
took  their  heads  off — it  blew  in  their  ears  and 
deafened  them.  They  found  it  hard  to  breathe 
against  it,  and  its  force  nearly  took  them  off  their 
pins. 

"  "What's  the  trouble,  old  ma- 
Frank  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  word  as  he 
caught  sight  of  the  black  bulk  of  the  schooner, 
slowly  bearing  down  upon  them.  Scarcely 
twenty  feet  of  worried  and  wind-swept  water 
separated  the  two  vessels. 

Xearer  and  nearer  she  came,  until,  to  the  ex 
cited  eyes  of  the  crew,  it  seemed  as  if  the  big 
boat  would  swallow  the  smaller  one  whole. 

The  mate  went  forward,  a  big  clasp  knife  in 
hand,  to  cut  the  cable,  if  that  extreme  move  be 
came  necessary. 

Kenneth  had  shouted  to  the  captain  of  the 
schooner  at  the  outset,  and  all  hands  were  trying 
262 


CHESAPEAKE    BAY.—  (Page  270.) 


CAPTURED   BY   "LIBERTY" 

everything  to  stop  her  backward  progress.  There 
was  no  time  to  raise  sails  and  beat  out  of  the  dan 
ger,  and  it  certainly  looked  as  if  the  "  Gazelle  " 
would  be  crushed  like  an  egg-shell,  or  else  cut 
adrift  to  run  the  very  probable  chances  of  being 
dashed  against  the  spiles  of  the  piers. 

It  was  a  strange  situation.  In  the  harbor,  be 
tween  two  populous  cities,  Norfolk  and  Ports 
mouth;  in  the  midst  of  a  large  fleet  of  seaworthy 
boats,  humming  with  life,  one  grea't  bully  of  a 
vessel  was  slowly  closing  down  on  a  smaller  one. 
Tens  of  thousands  of  people  almost  within  call, 
yet  none  could  stir  hand  or  foot  to  help.  Nor 
could  the  crew  of  either  craft  do  aught  to  pre 
vent  imminent  peril. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  tugged  at  her  moorings,  as  if 
she  realized  the  danger,  and  longed  eagerly  to  be 
free. 

The  crew  of  the  schooner  hung  over  the  rail 
aft,  watching  the  narrowing  strip  of  water. 

The  suspense  was  tremendous,  and  each  boy 
showed  the  effects  of  it  according  to  his  tempera 
ment.  Kenneth  stood  with  tightly-shut  fists  and 
clinched  jaws,  but  otherwise  showed  no  signs  of 
the  anxiety  he  felt;  Frank  could  not  keep  still, 
but  twitched,  rose,  and  sat  down  again  a  hundred 
times,  while  the  rain  ran  down  the  locks  of  long 
black  hair  over  his  face  unheeded;  Arthur,  who 
263 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

was  forward,  ready  to  cut  the  cables  if  necessary, 
was  possessed  with  the  desire  to  do  something; 
he  found  it  hard  to  wait,  and  appealed  to  Ken 
neth  many  times  to  know  if  he  should  sever  the 
anchor  line. 

The  movement  of  the  large  ship  was  so  gradual 
that  it  seemed  as  if  the  moment  of  contact  would 
never  arrive.  If  the  end  would  only  come 
quickly,  or  if  they  could  do  something  to  end  the 
suspense  !  Anything  would  be  a  relief.  They 
watched  with  staring  eyes  the  slow  approach  of 
the  larger  vessel — so  slow  that  the  movement  was 
scarcely  perceptible. 

Suddenly,  Frank  spoke  in  the  startled  tone  of 
one  who  wakes  from  a  nightmare. 

"  She  isn't  moving!  The  anchor  must  have 
caught  at  last."  The  three  tried  to  measure  the 
distance  between  the  boats  to  see  if  Frank's  asser 
tion  was  really  true. 

"  You  are  right,  old  man,"  Kenneth  said  at 
last.  "  Luck  is  with  us  again." 

It  was  a  mighty  narrow  escape — the  space  be 
tween  the  two  boats  could  almost  be  covered  by 
an  active  jumper. 

Later  in  the  day,  the  schooner  which  had 
threatened  to  crush  the  yacht  was  the  means  by 
which  she  was  saved  from  another  danger. 

It  was  growing  dark  when  the  captain  of  the 
264 


CAPTURED    BY   "LIBERTY" 

schooner  hailed  the  "  Gazelle/'  and  told  Kenneth 
that  he  wanted  to  shift  his  anchorage.  The  wind 
was  still  blowing  a  gale,  and  the  waves  slapped 
viciously  at  everything  that  withstood  them. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  was  holding  fast  to  the  bottom 
with  two  anchors,  but  wrhen  the  boys  tried  to  raise 
the  largest,  it  stuck,  and  could  not  be  moved,  so 
the  end  of  the  cable  was  buoyed  and  let  go.  Im 
mediately  the  yacht  began  to  drag  the  anchor 
that  remained,  as  if  it  were  but  a  heavy  stone, 
and  then  drifted  swiftly  toward  the  bulkheads  of 
the  wharves.  Again  the  possibility  of  a  smash- 
up  confronted  them. 

"  On  board  the  schooner!  "  Kenneth  shouted 
against  the  wind  in  the  direction  of  the  larger 
craft.  But  the  wind  carried  the  words  back  to 
him  mockingly.  Again  he  shouted:  "We're 
dragging  anchor.  Throw  us  a  line;  throw  us  a 
line!" 

It  seemed  ages  before  any  one  appeared;  then 
the  face  of  the  captain  showed  itself.  He  im 
mediately  grasped  the  situation,  and  in  the  nick 
of  time  threw  a  long  line  to  them.  Arthur 
caught  it  and  made  it  fast,  while  the  captain  did 
likewise  on  the  schooner.  Once  more  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  was  saved;  she  swung  on  the  end  of  the 
long  rope  like  the  cork  on  a  fish  line. 

For  a  week  the  storm  continued;  so  for  many 
265 


A    TEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

days  the  captain  and  crew  of  the  yacht  had  noth 
ing  to  do  but  go  sight-seeing,  to  write  letters,  and 
play  games.  Whenever  the  weather  permitted, 
"  His  Nibs  "  was  brought  alongside,  and  one  or 
two  of  tlie  boys  went  ashore. 

On  one  side  of  the  narrow  harbor  was  Norfolk, 
one  of  the  big  and  growing  cities  of  the  South. 
Her  docks  were  filled  with  ocean-going  and 
coastwise  craft,  steamers,  and  sailing  vessels  of 
every  rig.  Situated  on  a  fine  harbor,  a  point 
from  which  railroads  radiated,  within  easy  reach 
of  the  coal  fields  and  iron  mines,  and  but  a  short 
distance  from  the  great  ship-building  yards  at 
Newport  News,  it  prospered  exceedingly.  There 
was  little  about  it  that  suggested  the  Southern 
city,  except  the  multitude  of  colored  people  that 
roamed  the  streets.  Across  the  stream-like  har 
bor  lay  Portsmouth,  a  much  smaller  place,  on  a 
lower  scale  of  development.  In  its  Navy  Yard 
many  of  the  ships  that  did  such  good  service 
during  the  war  with  Spain  were  fitted  out.  Then 
its  shops  were  kept  going  day  and  night;  the 
workmen  swarmed  like  bees  in  and  out  of  the 
buildings ;  and  the  place  resounded  with  the  loud 
gong-like  ring  of  blows  on  cavernous  boilers,  and 
the  sharp  tap-tap  of  the  riveters.  It  was  quite 
different  when  the  boys  visited  it;  many  of  the 
shops  were  closed,  and  the  marines,  clad  from 
266 


CAPTURED   BY   "LIBERTY" 

head  to  foot  in  rubber,  who  paced  to  and  fro  in 
front  of  the  old  stone  buildings  had  little  to  do, 
for  there  were  few  frolicsome  jackies  to  make 
trouble  for  them. 

Kenneth,  Arthur,  and  Frank  visited  the  ship 
ping,  the  oyster  markets,  where  hundreds  of  the 
trim  oyster  sloops  and  schooners  were  unladen 
weekly,  the  Navy  Yard;  St.  Paul's,  the  old  stone 
church,  built  in  1739,  which  still  bore  high  in 
its  tower  the  round  shot  fired  into  it  during  the 
War  of  1812,  and  last,  but  far  from  least,  the 
watermelon  fleet. 

"  How's  business?  "  they  inquired  interestedly. 

"  Rotten,"  was  the  reply,  and  the  truth  of  it 
was  evident  in  the  piles  of  discarded  fruit  about. 

Great,  luscious  melons  were  selling  at  $3.50 
per  hundred,  and  buyers  were  hard  to  find  at 
that.  Whether  the  boys  went  singly  or  by  twos, 
they  always  returned  laden  to  their  utmost  capac 
ity  with  the  great  green  fruit. 

The  tenth  day  after  their  arrival  at  Norfolk, 
Kenneth  got  up  early  and  in  a  voice  fit  to  wake 
the  dead,  roared :  "  Up  all  hands,  break  your 
selves  out  of  your  founks  there.  This  is  the  day 
we  '  move  de  boat ';  up  all  hands." 

The  other  two  got  up  yawning  and  stretching, 
to  find  the  sun  streaming  warmly  through  the 
lights.  Breakfast  was  cooked  and  eaten,  dishes 
267 


A    YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

washed  and  put  away,  decks  scrubbed,  brass 
rubbed,  and  rigging  examined.  The  bugler 
aboard  the  U.S.S.  "  Texas,"  anchored  but  a  short 
distance  off,  was  just  blowing  reveille  when  the 
boys  began  to  heave  on  the  'anchor  cable.  But  it 
was  long  after  the  shrill  boatswain's  call  to  mess 
had  sounded  aboard  the  "  Texas "  before  the 
"  Gazelle's  "  crew  gave  up  the  task  of  hauling 
aboard  the  anchor.  The  boys  hauled  and  tugged, 
till  it  seemed  as  if  the  bow  of  the  "  Gazelle  " 
would  be  pulled  down  to  keep  company  with  the 
anchor,  but  not  an  inch  would  it  budge.  It  was 
provoking  that  when  wind  and  tide  favored, 
and  pleasant  weather  promised,  they  should  be 
held  to  land.  Kenneth  stood  with  frowning 
brows  looking  along  the  straight  cable,  while  the 
perspiration  stood  in  beads  on  his  face — gazing  as 
if  he  would  pierce  the  green-brown  flood  with  his 
glance,  and  see  what  held  the  mud-hook  fast. 
Arthur  and  Frank  stood  by  silent  and  hot — for 
the  sun  beat  down  fiercely;  all  three  were  dry  of 
suggestions,  for  everything  had  been  tried. 

"  Oh,  let's  try  once  more ;  then  if  the  pesky 
thing  won't  come  up  we'll  cut  adrift  and  leave 
it."  Kenneth  was  at  the  end  of  his  patience. 

Once  more  the  windlass  was  set  going,  and 
with  the  aid  of  three  pairs  of  strong  young  arms 
the  heavy  manila  line  was  tautened  until  the 


CAPTURED   BY   "  LIBERTY " 

yacht's  bow  was  pulled  a  foot  or  more  below  the 
normal  water  line;  but  not  an  inch  would  the  old 
anchor  budge.  But  just  as  the  boys  were  on  the 
point  of  giving  up  in  desperation,  the  rollers  from 
a  passing  tug  tossed  the  yacht  and  gave  an  extra 
heavy  pull  on  the  line;  then  suddenly  the  yawl 
regained  her  level  and  inch  by  inch  the  refractory 
anchor  was  yanked  up.  A  great  water-soaked 
log  clinging  to  one  of  the  flukes  revealed  the 
cause  of  the  trouble  when  it  reached  the  surface. 
Free  at  last  from  the  grasp  of  the  land,  the 
"Gazelle"  threaded  her  way  past  trim,  converted 
yacht-gun'boats  (which  looked  little  like  the 
venomous  terriers  of  war  they  were),  the  grim 
"  Texas,"  whose  peaceful  white  coating  of  paint 
belied  her  destructive,  deat'h-dealing  power,  and 
past  the  'ba'ttered  "  Keina  Mercedes,"  which,  in 
spite  of  every  effort  of  her  former  owner,  was 
destined  to  become  a  useful  member  of  Uncle 
Sam's  !STavy.  Indeed,  yachts,  steamers,  steam 
boats,  and  sailing  craft  of  every  description,  were 
passed  by  the  "  Gazelle  "  on  her  way  to  the  open 
bay,  the  famous  Hampton  Koads.  Many  hands 
were  waved  in  salute  to  the  little  craft  and  her 
sturdy  crew,  and  not  less  numerous  were  the 
toots  of  the  whistles  which  greeted  them,  for  the 
fame  of  their  trip  had  spread  until  the  little 
white  yawl  was  almost  as  well  known  to  'the 
269 


A   YEAR  IX  A    YAWL 

shipping  population  as  the  members  of  the  white 
squadron. 

When  the  sun  of  August  22d  sent  its  last  rays 
over  the  beautiful  Hampton  Koads,  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  had  rounded  Old  Point  Comfort  and  left 
the  picturesque  old  Fortress  Monroe  astern. 

Long  -after  sundown,  the  "  Gazelle  "  wended 
her  way  up  the  broad  Chesapeake  Bay,  one  of  a 
thousand  craft  that  sped  over  its  smooth  waters. 
Soon,  the  moon  rose  in  perfect  splendor,  and  as 
the  boys  sat  in  the  cockpit,  spellbound  by  the 
beauty  of  the  scene,  they  saw  a  great  Baltimore 
clipper,  square  rigged,  every  sail  spread,  come 
sailing  down  the  broad  path  of  moonlight;  lean 
ing  a  trifle  to  the  strength  of  the  breeze,  every 
sail  rounded  out  and  bathed  in  silvery  light,  her 
keen  prow  turning  the  phosphorescent  waves 
like  a  ploughshare;  she  made  one  of  the  finest 
pictures  mortal  man  ever  beheld — a  sight  that 
made  the  boys'  sailor-blood  stir  within  them,  and 
they  stood  spellbound  until  the  great  ship  swept 
majestically  by,  silent,  except  for  the  splash  of 
the  waves  as  she  spurned  them  aside,  or  for  the 
creak  of  a  block  under  the  strain  of  swelling 
canvas. 

Till  long  after  midnight,  the  yacht  "held  her 
course — sailing  by  the  light  of  the  moon;  then 
she  dropped  anchor  in  one  of  the  innumerable 
270 


CAPTURED   BY   ''LIBERTY" 

indentations   that  mark   the   coast  line   of  the 
bay. 

It  was  late  the  next  morning  when  the  three 
young  mariners  rubbed  their  eyes  open,  but  they 
might  as  well  have  turned  in  again,  for  hardly  a 
breath  of  wind  was  stirring,  and  the  swift  tide 
was  running  out — down  stream. 

For  three  days  the  wind  failed  them,  then  a 
breeze  sprang  up  that  made  the  resisting  tide  of 
no  avail. 

The  "  Gazelle "  sailed  along  past  sandy 
beaches  and  rocky  points,  past  fascinating 
marshy  nooks,  and  bluff  headlands,  at  what 
seemed  a  good  round  gait  until  a  slim,  rakish- 
looking  craft  went  by  so  quickly  that  the  yacht 
might  just  as  well  have  been  anchored,  so  great 
was  the  contrast  in  speed. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  switched/'  was  Kenneth's  sur 
prised  ejaculation.  Never  had  he  seen  his  boat 
left  behind  so  quickly  before.  "  Bet  she's  got  a 
gasoline  engine  stowed  aft  there  somewhere." 

"  No,  the  '  Gazelle  '  is  foul  with  weeds  and 
things." 

"  We'll  have  to  lay  her  up  and  scrape  her 
then,"  was  Kenneth's  determined  reply.  He 
could  not  have  his  craft  beaten  like  that,  with 
out  a  protest. 

The  cause  of  all  this  dissatisfaction  flew  by  like 
271 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

the  shadow  of  a  swiftly  moving  cloud.  Her 
masts  were  raked  sharply  aft,  and  her  two  enor 
mous  leg-o'-mutton  sails  were  out  of  all  propor 
tion  to  her  beam,  the  boys  thought.  The  hull  was 
built  of  several — five  or  six — large  logs  hollowed 
out  and  cleverly  joined  with  peculiarly  shaped 
wooden  pegs  that  held  the  connecting  logs  closely 
together.  It  was  a  new  sort  of  craft  to  Hansom, 
and  his  respect  for  the  Chesapeake  Bay  fisher 
man  increased  as  he  realized  the  careful  sea 
manship  required  to  keep  a  "  Bugeye  "  right-side 
up.  Past  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac  River,  which 
led  directly  to  the  national  capital,  sailed  the 
three  boys,  though  they  longed  with  all  their 
might  for  a  sight  of  Washington,  and  it  took 
all  their  resolution  to  keep  headed  up  the  bay. 
Old  Annapolis,  the  seat  of  the  Xaval  Academy, 
and  the  place  where  so  many  naval  heroes  have 
been  educated,  was  left  without  a  visit;  but  each 
boy  promised  himself  that  he  would  return  and 
see  everything  some  time.  The  names  Dewey, 
Sampson,  Schley,  Evans,  Philip,  Hobson,  and  a 
host  of  others  were  on  everybody's  tongue  at 
that  time,  and  yet  the  three  young  mariners  (so 
pressed  for  time  were  they)  could  not  visit  the 
place  where  these  great  men  were  educated. 

Just  before  reaching   Chesapeake   City,   the 
yacht  was  beached,  and  when  the  tide  receded, 
272 


BEAUFORT,    NORTH    CAROLINA. 
POPLAR   TREES   BENT    OVER    BY   THE    WIND. — (Page  255.) 


A  "BUGEYE." 
FLEW  BY  LIKE  THE  SHADOW  OF  A  SWIFTLY  MOVING  CLOUD?'-  - 


279.) 


CAPTURED   BY   "LIBERTY" 

the  boys  found  barnacles  and  sea  moss  to  the 
thickness  of  three-fourths  of  an  inch  or  more  on 
its  bottom.  The  planking  beneath,  however, 
was  as  sound  as  could  be,  and  showed  not  a  sign 
of  the  many  terrific  strains  to  which  it  had  been 
subjected. 

At  Chesapeake  City  the  yacht  entered  the 
Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Canal,  the  Haul  Over 
Canal,  as  it  is  generally  called. 

Kenneth  was  told  that  he  would  have  to  pay 
eleven  dollars  for  the  privilege  of  passing 
through  the  lock  and  for  the  hire  of  five  mules 
to  tow  the  yawl  through. 

"  But  I  don't  want  a  tow  through,"  he  pro 
tested. 

"  But  yer  got  ter."  The  driver  was  very  em 
phatic.  "  The  law  says  yer  got  ter  take  a  tow 
troo." 

"  The  (  Gazelle  '  is  light;  one  mule  would  be 
enough,  and  you  have  five." 

"  Yer  gotter  have  five.  But  we'll  snake  yer 
troo  quick."  This  last  was  said  with  the  air  of 
one  who  is  conferring  a  great  favor. 

a  The  first  time  I  ever  drove  five-in-hand," 
said  Arthur,  laughing,  as  the  driver  whipped  up 
and  the  yacht  began  tearing  through  the  water. 
It  was  a  pleasant  ride  through  that  short  canal. 
The  mules  kept  on  at  a  steady  trot,  and  the  trees, 
18  273 


A.   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

with  an  occasional  house,  went  flying  past.  At 
six  o'clock,  the  lock  opening  into  the  Delaware 
Kiver  at  Delaware  City  was  reached;  but  as  the 
tide  was  wrong  the  "  Gazelle  "  did  not  float  into 
the  historic  stream  till  several  hours  later. 

The  river  was  full  of  moving  craft  when  the 
"  Gazelle  "  swung  into  the  stream.  Great  ocean 
going  steamers,  disreputable  looking  tramp 
steamships,  trim  schooners  of  every  size,  and 
here  and  there  a  yacht,  A  scene  full  of  anima 
tion  and  color — of  busy  boats  and  busy  people — 
very  different  from  the  easy-going  life  which  the 
boys  had  just  left  on  the  Southern  water  courses. 

Towns  with  factories  whose  smoking  chimneys 
told  of  active  work,  dotted  the  river  bank  every 
mile  or  two,  and  between  were  fields  of  flourish 
ing  crops — not  a  foot  of  ground  was  wasted. 

Head  winds  delayed  the  little  craft  much,  and 
the  smoky  haze  that  hung  over  the  great  city  of 
Philadelphia  was  not  sighted  until  the  fourth  day 
after  leaving  Delaware  City. 

"  We're  just  in  time.  Look!  "  Frank  pointed 
through  the  rainlike  fog  that  greeted  the  young 
voyagers  on  their  first  visit  to  the  City  of 
Brotherly  Love. 

"What-     Say,  that's  fine !" 

It  was  an  ejaculation  that  the  sight  before 
them  extracted  involuntarily.  Anchored  in  two 
274 


CAPTURED   BY   "LIBERTY" 

long  lines,  lay  a  great  fleet  of  Uncle  Sam's  dogs 
of  war.  Painted  white,  they  looked  like  great 
ghosts  of  ships  through  the  fog;  all  was  gray 
except  where  the  beautiful  red,  white  and  blue 
showed  dimly  through,  or  where  the  red,  yellow 
and  blue  signal  flags  on  the  flagship  made  spots 
of  color  in  the  general  dulness.  In  and  about 
darted  the  man-o'-war  launches  like  the  restless, 
ever-moving  insects  which  one  sees  on  placid 
pools  in  summer. 

It  was  Philadelphia's  tribute  to  the  victorious 
hosts  in  the  war  with  Spain,  and  the  boys  came  in 
just  the  nick  of  time  to  take  in  all  the  goings  on 
—the  parades  of  soldiers  and  sailors  and  the  still 
more  interesting,  ever  restless  procession  of  the 
multitude  of  people  from  every  direction. 

Everything  was  open,  from  the  United  States 
Mint,  Independence  Hall,  where  Congress  first 
met,  to  Cramp's  shipyard  and  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  buildings.  During  the  three 
days  our  mariners  lay  off  the  city,  they  saw  it  all. 
Kenneth  would  have  been  at  Cramp's  shipyard 
to  this  day  if  Arthur  had  not  pulled  him  off  by 
main  force.  The  great  enclosure  from  which  so 
many  of  America's  famous  ships  have  been 
launched  had  a  strong  fascination  for  him,  and  it 
was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  he  could  tear 
himself  away. 

275 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

Under  way  once  more,  'the  "  Gazelle  "  soon 
reached  Bordentown,  where  she  entered  the 
Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal.  Surprised  and  de 
lighted  at  the  small  canal  fee,  Kenneth  paid  the 
$2.80  and,  with  a  long  line,  he  and  Arthur  began 
to  tow  to  Trenton  (six  miles).  As  luck  would 
have  it,  Kenneth  and  his  friends  met  the  owner 
of  the  steam  yacht  "  Cora  "  at  Trenton,  who  was 
also  going  through  the  canal. 

The  story  of  the  trip  thus  far,  and  the  plans  for 
the  remainder  of  the  journey  so  interested  the 
"  Cora's  "  master,  that  he  wanted  to  hear  more 
of  it  and  offered  to  tow  the  "  Gazelle  "  through 
for  the  sake  of  the  society  of  her  captain  and 
crew.  The  boys  thought  this  more  than  a  fair 
exchange  and  "  accepted  with  pleasure."  The 
"  Gazelle  "  seemed  to  feel  the  importance  of  her 
position,  and  strutted  behind  the  graceful 
"  Cora  "  as  though  she  were  merely  following 
the  larger  and  more  fashionable  vessel,  and  was 
not  submitting  to  anything  so  undignified  as 
towing. 

"  The  old  boat  will  get  so  stuck  up  with  her 
five-mule  team  and  now  her  steam-yacht  tow, 
that  she'll  outgrow  her  headsails." 

"  Wait  till  she  strikes  the  Erie  Canal,  when  her 
fall  cometh.  It's  lucky  if  we  get  even  one  horse 
to  tow  her  then." 

276 


CAPTURED   BY   "LILtERTY" 

Along  the  broad  canal  the  two  yachts  went  at 
a  pace  that  the  boys  thought  too  fast,  for  little 
opportunity  was  given  to  them  to  see  the  many 
interesting  things  that  they  passed  so  quickly. 

At  JSTew  Brunswick,  the  end  of  the  canal,  the 
"  Gazelle's  "  crew  bid  their  kind  friends  good- 
by,  and,  hoisting  sail,  went  on  alone.  As  they 
drew  nearer  and  nearer  the  Metropolis — the  city 
which  they  had  heard  about  all  their  lives,  but 
had  never  seen,  and  which,  next  to  their  own 
homes,  was  the  place  of  all  others  that  they  de 
sired  to  reach — their  nerves  tingled  with  excite 
ment,  and  the  good  round  pace  which  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  was  making,  seemed  all  too  slow. 

When  darkness  fell  they  were  but  seven 
miles  below  E"ew  Brunswick,  on  the  Karitan 
River,  anchored  in  a  spot  that  seemed  absolutely 
remote  from  civilization,  above  all  far  from  a 
great  city,  so  quiet  was  it.  Undisturbed  by  sight 
of  any  one,  the  three  youngsters  made  the  night 
hideous  with  their  jubilant  songs,  bawled  at  the 
top  of  their  voices.  Well  might  they  be  joyful, 
for  surely  the  thing  accomplished  more  than  jus 
tified  their  exultation. 

In  a  thirty-foot  boat  they  had  braved  the 
treacherous  Gulf  and  the  savage  Atlantic,  trav 
elled  dangerous  waters  without  a  pilot;  mere  boys 
who  had  never  seen  salt  water  before  this  cruise, 
277 


A   YEAR  IN  A    JAWL 

with  barely  enough  money  to  pay  the  narrowest 
expenses  and  buy  the  cheapest  possible  food;  and 
now  they  were  within  a  day's  sail  of  New  York, 
sound  and  well,  with  a  boat  under  them  that  was 
as  fit  as  when  she  had  slipped  into  the  fresh 
waters  of  far-off  Lake  Michigan. 

"Hip!  Hip!  Hurrah!  "  they  shouted  over  the 
placid  waters  of  the  Raritan  River;  and  well  they 
might. 

Next  day  Kenneth  steered  his  craft  past  Perth 
Amboy  into  the  Arthur  Kills  back  of  Staten  Isl 
and,  and  that  evening  saw  them  anchored  off 
Elizabethport.  Pretty  much  the  same  sort  of 
feeling  that  rouses  a  child  on  Christmas  morning 
at  daybreak,  brought  Kenneth,  Arthur,  and 
Frank  on  deck  before  the  sun  had  fairly  started 
his  day's  work.  It  was  September  7th,  and  the 
red  and  black  sweaters  with  the  word  "  Gazelle  " 
embroidered  on  the  breast  were  found  very  com 
fortable  in  the  chill  morning  air.  A  haze  hung 
over  everything,  and  the  boats  that  were  moving 
slipped  about  as  if  on  tiptoe,  fearful  lest  the 
sleeping  millions  be  wakened  too  soon. 

As  the  "  Gazelle  "  rounded  Bergen  Point, 
Jersey  City,  and  sailed  into  the  Upper  New 
York  Bay,  boats  seemed  to  spring  out  of  the 
very  water,  ferryboats,  sailboats,  tugs ;  never  had 
the  boys  seen  so  many  craft  in  motion  before. 
278 


CAPTURED   BY   "LIBERTY" 

A  haze  still  hung  over  the  water,  and  objects 
only  two  hundred  yards  off  could  be  seen  but 
dimly. 

"  There's  the  Statue  of  Liberty/'  Arthur  cried 
excitedly. 

Sure  enough,  the  great  statue  stood  before 
them — her  torch  held  on  high,  the  heavy  vapor 
wreathed  about  her  like  beautiful,  filmy  drapery. 

Putting  helm  to  starboard,  the  "  Gazelle " 
turned  to  go  inside  Bedloe's  Island. 

"  Look,  can't  you  see  a  tall  building  over 
there?" 

All  the  boys  looked  for  the  jagged  sky  line 
which  they  had  seen  pictured  so  often,  and  soon 
became  so  intent  that  they  forgot  to  watch  where 
they  were  going. 

"With  a  sudden  bump  and  a  sickening  jar,  the 
"  Gazelle  "  stopped  short.  She  was  hard  and  fast 
on  the  cruel  rocks. 


279 


CHAPTER  XVI 

FROM   NEW   YORK   TO   ALBANY 

"With  the  very  shadow  of  the  great  Liberty 
statue  stretching  over  them,  their  good  ship  was 
fast  on  the  rocks  and  threatening  to  spring  aleak 
any  moment.  Shipwreck  at  the  gates  of  Amer 
ica's  greatest  city  stared  the  boys  in  the  face. 
Sand  bars,  ice,  great  waves,  and  fierce  winds,  had 
been  encountered,  but  not  till  New  York  Harbor 
received  them  so  inhospitably,  had  the  "  Gra- 
zelle's  "  keel  struck  rock. 

Quick  work  was  necessary  if  the  yacht  was  to 
be  saved,  for  even  now  the  rollers  from  passing 
steamboats  were  causing  her  to  pound. 

Without  a  word,  Kenneth  jumped  forward 
and  lowered  jib  and  mainsail,  and  then,  without 
stopping  to  take  off  any  clothes,  sprang  over 
board.  "  Come  on,  boys,"  he  cried.  In  an 
other  instant  all  three  were  lifting  and  pushing 
the  heavy  hull  to  get  her  off  the  rocks  into  the 
deep  water  of  the  channel — straining  with  all 
their  might.  Hot  work  it  was,  in  spite  of  the  cool 


FROM   NEW   YORK    TO    ALBANY 

water  that  wet  them  above  their  waists.  Re 
luctantly  the  yacht  began  to  slide  backward. 
Lifted  by  the  rollers,  and  pushed  by  three  sturdy 
backs,  she  slipped  towards  the  channel  till  the 
boys  found  themselves  without  a  footing  and 
hanging  on  the  boat  for  support.  She  was  afloat 
once  more. 

"  Thank  God!  "  said  Ransom  fervently,  as  he 
climbed  on  deck,  dripping  and  shivering  in  the 
chill  morning  air.  Once  more  the  good  ship 
had  stood  the  test. 

A  few  minutes  were  spent  in  putting  on  dry 
clothes,  then  on  up  New  York  Bay  they  went. 

All  was  plain  sailing  until  the  yacht's  straight 
bowsprit  had  poked  itself  round  old  Fort  William 
Henry  on  Governor's  Island.  Then  the  fun 
began. 

The  two  great  currents  from  the  North  and 
East  Rivers  met  off  the  fort,  each  carried  an  im 
mense  number  of  craft  of  all  sorts  going  in  every 
direction.  Whistles  tooted  and  bells  clanged, 
paddle  wheels  and  churning  propellers  turned  the 
green  waters  into  frothing  chaos. 

Kenneth  and  his  friends  were  bewildered,  and 
they  wondered  how  they  were  ever  going  to  pilot 
the  diminutive  "  Gazelle  "  through  that  intricate 
labyrinth  of  shifting  vessels. 

The  monster  "  Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  Grosse," 
281 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

her  huge  hull  dragged  by  several  tugs  (reminding 
one  of  a  big  piece  of  bread  being  moved  off  by 
ants)  blocked  the  way  to  starboard;  while  one  of 
the  swift  Sandy  Hook  boats  dashed  by  to  port, 
leaving  a  great  wave  astern.  The  Long  Island 
Sound  boats,  veritable  floating  hotels,  were  just 
rounding  the  Battery  on  the  way  to  their  piers 
ahead,  and  to  and  fro  the  tug-boats  puffed  on 
erratic  courses;  shuttles  they  were  that  seemed 
to  be  weaving  a  net  from  which  the  yacht  could 
not  escape. 

"  Phew !  "  whistled  Kenneth,  who  was  steer 
ing.  "  How  the  deuce  are  we  going  to  get 
through  this,  I  would  like  to  know?  " 

"  I  don't  see,  unless  we  sink  and  we  go  under 
neath."  Arthur's  brows  were  puckered  with  per 
plexity,  curious  to  see,  but  perfectly  simple  to 
understand. 

"  I  don't  know  how,  but  we  always  do  get  out 
of  our  scrapes  somehow;  still—  Well,  will  you 
look  at  that,  in  the  name  of  common  sense!  " 
Frank  stopped  from  sheer  astonishment. 

The  yacht  was  speeding  down  a  narrow  lane 
between  two  great  outgoing  ships,  a  great 
schooner  and  an  English  tramp,  her  way  clear  for 
once,  when  a  tug  appeared  across  the  opening, 
and  at  the  end  of  a  long  towline,  a  half-dozen 
canal  boats  strung  out — -a  barrier  six  hundred 
282 


FROM  NEW  YORK   TO  ALBANY 

yards  long  at  least.  Kenneth  trimmed  in  his 
sheets  quickly,  put  his  helm  to  starboard,  and 
started  to  go  around  the  end  of  the  tow,  but  no 
sooner  had  the  yacht  gathered  headway  in  the 
new  direction,  than  a  big  ferryboat  ran  from  be 
hind  the  tramp,  and  she  had  to  luff  quickly  to 
avoid  a  collision. 

"  This  is  getting  tiresome,  to  say  the  least,"  re 
marked  Kenneth  in  a  vexed  tone.  "  I  guess  we'll 
have  to  follow  Arthur's  suggestion  and  make  a 
submarine  trip  of  it." 

"  Look  at  that  sloop  there ;  she  goes  right  along 
and  the  steam  craft  get  out  of  her  way."  Arthur 
pointed  out  a  well-loaded  oyster  boat.  "  If  we 
only  had  our  nerve  with  us  we'd  be  all  right." 

"  It  takes  nerve,  though;  but  here  goes,  we 
have  the  right  of  way." 

Sure  enough.  Whenever  there  seemed  to  be 
no  escape  from  an  accident,  and  the  yacht 
pluckily  pushed  on,  the  steam  vessels  shifted  to 
one  side  ever  so  slightly  and  allowed  her  to  pass. 

At  first  the  excitement  was  too  great  for  com 
fort,  but  as  they  proceeded  up  the  river  un 
harmed,  it  began  to  be  exhilarating.  Great  ferry 
boats  crossed  their  bows  so  near  that  they  could 
almost  jump  aboard;  tugs  steamed  by  so  close 
that  the  crews  of  the  two  boats  easily  "  passed  the 
time  o'  day  "  in  an  ordinary  tone  of  voice.  Huge 


A    YEAR   IX   A    XAWL 

steamers  passed  that  might  have  stowed  the 
"  Gazelle  "  on  one  of  their  decks  without  in 
conveniencing  their  promenading  passengers  in 
the  slightest. 

"  And  yet/'  said  Frank,  'bending  his  head  far 
back  in  order  to  see  a  steamer's  rail,  "  this  little 
boat  weathered  some  storms  that  would  make 
even  that  vast  hull  tremble."  He  voiced  the 
thought  that  all  of  them  had  in  mind. 

With  eyes  "bright  with  interest,  the  boys  saw 
the  graceful  sweep  of  the  Brooklyn  Bridge,  the 
tall,  red,  square  tower  of  the  Produce  Exchange, 
the  brownstone  spire  of  historic  Trinity  Church 
set  in  the  midst  of,  and  almost  dwarfed  by,  the 
higher  buildings  about  it.  Towering  ten,  twenty, 
thirty  stories  high,  the  great  office  buildings 
made  a  skyline  strangely  jagged  and  bold.  As 
the  yacht  sailed  northward,  the  city  flattened 
out  somewhat,  and  the  moving  network  made 
by  the  wakes  of  the  shifting  boats  became  more 
open. 

Off  Seventy-second  Street,  at  the  beginning  of 
Riverside  Drive,  the  anchor  was  dropped,  and 
now  out  of  the  stream  of  passing  craft,  the  crew 
stopped  to  take  a  quiet  breath  and  recover  from 
the  excitement  of  navigating  a  great  waterway 
full  of  swiftly  moving  vessels  of  every  nationality 
going  to  and  from  every  part  of  the  world. 
284 


FROM   NEW   YORK   TO   ALBANY 

A  week  of  sightseeing  followed.  Now,  per 
haps,  for  the  first  time,  the  boys  longed  for 
money  with  a  longing  not  born  of  need,  but  at 
the  sight  of  the  many  attractive  things  that  can  be 
bought  for  small  sums,  and  the  interesting  shows 
which  their  empty  pockets  did  not  permit  them 
to  enjoy.  Of  the  free  shows,  hardly  one  escaped 
them,  the  museums,  both  of  Art  arid  Natural  His 
tory,  the  New  York  Zoo  in  Bronx  Park;  then  the 
great  buildings  and  the  public  parks  all  received 
their  share  of  attention.  Though  comparisons 
may  be  odious,  the  boys  put  the  Natural  History 
and  Metropolitan  Art  museums  beside  the  Field 
Columbian  Museum  in  Chicago,  and  discussed 
hotly  among  themselves  the  relative  merits  of 
each. 

"  His  Nibs  "  was  a  hard-worked  boat  those 
days,  because  from  four  to  six  times  a  day  it 
ferried  the  boys  to  and  from  the  yacht.  Perhaps 
it  was  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  was  tired  of  so 
much  work,  that  it  floated  itself  into  the  atten 
tion  of  a  couple  of  young  wharf  rats  one  even 
ing.  Kenneth  had  come  ashore  alone,  and  made 
the  small  "boat  fast  to  the  landing  close  to  the 
shore  end  of  a  long,  closely  built  wharf.  For 
perhaps  three  hours  he  was  away,  and  when  he 
returned  it  was  after  eleven  o'clock  and  black 
night.  Reaching  the  landing,  he  saw  that  the 
285 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

boat  was  missing,  and  his  heart  sank,  for  he  had 
an  affection  for  the  little  craft  that  had  done  its 
work  so  bravely;  besides  which,  he  could  ill 
afford  the  money  to  replace  it.  Suddenly  he 
awoke  to  the  fact  that  just  beyond  his  sight,  a 
boat  was  being  rowed  hurriedly  away.  Running 
down  the  string-piece  to  the  end  of  the  pier,  he 
saw  two  young  reprobates  paddling  off  with  all 
their  might  in  "His  Xibs."  What  should  he 
do?  Xot  a  policeman  in  sight,  not  a  boat  in 
which  he  could  follow,  near  at  hand;  he  feared 
he  would  have  to  let  his  boat  be  taken  before  his 
very  eyes.  But  all  at  once  a  thought  struck  him 
and  the  humor  of  it  made  him  smile  as  he  started 
to  put  it  into  operation.  With  a  big  clasp  knife 
he  carried  in  his  pocket  he  thought  that  he  might 
bluff  the  thieves  into  thinking  that  it  was  a  re 
volver,  and  so  scare  them  into  returning  the 
stolen  property. 

Running  out  to  the  end  of  the  pier,  where  his 
figure  would  be  silhouetted  against  the  distant 
light,  he  pulled  out  his  knife,  and  holding  it  as  if 
it  were  a  revolver,  pointed  it  at  the  "  wharf  rats." 

"Where  are  you  going  with  that  boat?"  he 
shouted  in  stern  tones. 

Xo  answer,  though  the  thieves  stopped  rowing. 

"  You  return  that  boat  or  I'll—        Kenneth 
left  his  sentence  unfinished,  but  he  flourished  his 
286 


FROM   NEW   YORK   TO   ALBANY 

impromptu  revolver  so  fiercely  that  the  boat 
stealers  were  evidently  cowed. 

"  Get  that  boat  back,  and  be  quick  about  it. 
Xo  fooling,  or  I'll  shoot  you  full  of  holes.'" 
Kenneth  could  hardly  keep  his  face  straight 
when  he  saw  them  back  water  and  turn  to  go 
back  to  the  landing.  "  I  was  just  in  time,"  he 
said  to  himself,  as  he  followed  along  on  the 
stringpiece.  "  If  they  ever  got  under  a  dock 
it  would  be  all  day  with  '  His  Nibs.' '  Arriving 
at  the  float  the  boys  (they  were  hardly  out  of 
their  'teens,  Kenneth  thought)  started  for  the 
street  on  a  run.  Ransom  stayed  not  for  pursuit, 
but  jumped  into  the  boat  and  pushed  off.  Once 
the  two  stopped  to  look  back,  but  a  threatening 
move  with  the  knife  sent  them  on  with  renewed 
speed. 

"  Well,  that's  the  best  joke,"  Kenneth  said  to 
himself,  and  he  stopped  rowing  to  pat  the  pocket 
where  he  had  dropped  the  knife. 

September  14th  broke  bright  and  clear,  with 
a  touch  of  the  keen  autumnal  vigor  in  the  air.  A 
good  strong  breeze  was  blowing,  and  the  boys 
weighed  anchor  with  light  hearts,  for  they  were 
beginning  the  last  fifteen  hundred  miles  of  their 
seven-thousand  mile  journey.  On,  up  the  Hud 
son  River,  the  good  yacht  sped,  the  smooth  green 
lawns  of  Riverside  Park  on  one  side,  and  the 
287 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

frowning  cliffs  of  Jersey  Heights  upon  the  other. 
Soon  the  dome  of  Grant's  Tomb  was  passed, 
dazzling  white    and  gleaming  in  the  morning 
sun. 

Hour  after  hour  the  little  boat  sailed  up  the 
majestic  stream,  a  mere  moving  mote  on  the 
broad  watery  ribbon.  To  the  east,  the  land 
sloped  gently  to  the  stream,  an  undulating  green 
country  dotted  here  and  there  with  towns  and 
clumps  of  factory  buildings.  On  the  western 
shore,  the  giant  Palisades  stood  bluff  and  impres 
sive,  a  solid  stone  wall  from  two  hundred  to  five 
hundred  feet  high  and  fifteen  miles  long. 

The  boys  speedily  became  mere  animated  ex 
clamation  points,  for  hardly  a  minute  passed  that 
did  not  disclose  some  new  beauty,  some  unex 
pected  vista. 

The  breeze  held  fair  all  day,  and  the  night 
being  clear,  the  young  navigators  sailed  on  till 
long  after  sundown.  The  close  attention  and 
long  day's  sail  made  captain  and  crew  very  tired, 
so  that  when  they  turned  in  rather  late  they 
slept  like  logs. 

At  seven  o'clock  next  morning  all  aboard  wrere 
as  thoroughly  at  home  in  the  land  of  Xod  as  if 
they  intended  to  spend  the  rest  of  their  days 
there.  Old  Sol  was  shining  brightly  over  the 
eastern  hills,  the  summer  breeze  had  not  gained 
288 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  ALBANY 

its  full  strength  and  made  but  a  ripple  on  the 
smooth  surface  of  the  river.  It  was  a  quiet,  peace 
ful  scene  that  had  not  a  suggestion  of  noise  or 
turmoil  of  any  kind. 

Of  a  sudden  there  was  a  tremendous  report, 
an  explosion  that  rent  the  air,  then  in  quick  suc 
cession,  like  a  veritable  bombardment,  numerous 
detonations  followed.  The  first  fairly  shook  the 
boys  out  of  their  snug  bunks,  and  they  tumbled 
out  on  deck  wide-eyed,  fearing  they  knew  not 
what.  The  air  was  filled  with  a  tremendous  roar 
that  echoed  and  reechoed  across  from  one  height 
to  the  other. 

"  Good  Heavens!  "  Frank  exclaimed  when  he 
turned  to  the  west.  "  We're  done,  sure." 

The  whole  side  of  the  cliff  seemed  to  be  com 
ing  down  on  them.  Blast  after  blast  went  off, 
each  seeming  louder  than  the  preceding  one,  and 
with  each  report  the  earth  shook,  and  fountains 
of  dust,  smoke,  and  bits  of  rock  flew  up. 

All  three  boys  stood  dazed,  amazed,  almost 
unnerved,  indeed,  until  they  realized  that  the 
rock  was  being  blasted  out  of  the  cliff  for  paving 
purposes. 

"  That's  a  nice  way  to  wake  a  fellow  up/'  said 
Arthur  in  a  tone  of  supreme  disgust,  when  the 
last  charge  had  been  fired  and  the  smoke  had  in 
part  cleared  away. 

19  289 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

"  I  guess  that's  about  the  only  thing  that  would 
have  waked  us,  though/'  said  Kenneth,  yawning. 
"  Will  you  look  at  that  scar  in  the  face  of  the 
cliff;  that's  what  I  call  a  blooming  shame."  A 
great,  broad,  red-brown  scar  on  the  abrupt  rise, 
showed  bare  beside  the  green  and  gray  rocks  on 
either  side. 

Suddenly  Frank  burst  out  into  a  laugh  and  ran 
quickly  below.  "  Look  at  that  big  boat  coin 
ing  down  the  river  full  of  people,  and  then  get 
below,  you're  unfit  for  publication." 

Kenneth  and  Arthur  looked  as  they  were  bid 
den,  then  suddenly  realized  that  they  were  still 
clad  in  their  abbreviated  night  clothes.  In 
stantly,  all  that  could  be  seen  of  the  three  lads 
was  their  entirely  respectable  heads,  and  when 
the  steamboat  went  by,  these  three  nodded  a 
greeting,  and  three  arms,  browned  by  the  sun, 
waved  in  salute. 

The  next  morning  found  the  yawl  at  Pough- 
keepsie.  Behind  them  were  the  mountains  that 
have  guarded  the  stream  for  centuries,  Storm 
King,  old  Dunderberg,  and  the  lesser  heights. 
West  Point,  with  the  fine  buildings  of  the 
United  States  Military  Academy  crowning 
its  high  plateau,  lay  below  them.  Anchored 
almost  in  the  shadow  of  the  great  Poughkeepsie 
Bridge,  one  of  the  most  wonderful  structures 
290 


FROM  NEW   YORK  TO   ALBANY 

in  the  world,  the  boys  thought  they  were  cer 
tainly  getting  their  money's  worth  in  the  sight 
seeing  line. 

Their  tongues  kept  up  a  continual  clatter  until 
long  after  dark. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  anything  like  that  view  at 
West  Point  ?" 

"  Wasn't  that  a  dandy,  big  steamboat  that 
passed  us  near  Newburgh?  " 

"  I  tell  you  that  big  mountain  near  Peekskill 
was  great.  Made  a  fellow  feel  like  two  for  a 
nickel." 

And  so  the  talk  went  on,  until  finally  tired 
nature  overcame  even  the  excitement  of  novel 
experiences,  and  they  fell  asleep. 

The  seventy-six  miles  to  Albany  was  covered 
the  next  day,  in  spite  of  the  adverse  current;  and 
at  nightfall  the  "  Gazelle  "  was  anchored  almost 
within  sight  of  the  Empire  State's  Capitol  build 
ing. 

The  first  thing  Kenneth  did  at  Albany  the 
next  morning  was  to  apply  to  State  Superin 
tendent  of  Public  Works  Partridge  for  a  permit 
to  go  through  the  Erie  Canal — the  long  link  in 
the  chain  that  was  to  carry  the  cruisers  to  their 
native  lakes  again.  Colonel  Partridge  was  so 
cordially  interested  in  the  cruise,  that  he  intro 
duced  Kenneth  and  his  friends  to  some  news- 
291 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

paper  men.  So,  for  the  time  they  were  the  talk 
of  the  town.* 

With  his  permit  in  his  pocket,  Kenneth  went 
uptown  to  see  a  friend  of  his  father's  who  was 
holding  some  money  for  him  that  he  needed 
very  badly.  As  usual,  the  story  of  the  cruise 
had  to  be  told  at  length,  and  with  much  detail; 
and  it  was  late  when  the  captain  finally  took  his 
departure,  at  peace  with  all  the  world  by  reason 
of  the  roll  of  greenbacks  in  his  pocket,  and  of 
the  good  things  in  the  inner  boy.  Clad  in  his 
navy-blue  sailor  blouse,  he  walked  with  the  true 
sailor  swing  down  to  the  river  front,  and  putting 
his  fingers  to  his  lips  blew  the  shrill  signal  to  his 
shipmates  to  notify  them  that  he  was  ready  to  go 
aboard.  It  was  a  long  way  to  the  yacht,  and 
Kenneth  putting  his  back  to  a  spile  prepared 
to  take  it  easy  while  he  waited  for  the  small 
boat. 

Like  most  great  cities,  the  dives,  the  cut-throat 
saloons,  and  places  of  that  sort  were  situated  near 
the  water  front,  spread  like  a  spider's  web  for  the 
unwary  sailor.  Ransom  noticed  as  he  walked 
through  the  narrow  streets  towards  the  river,  that 
the  saloons  were  disgorging  their  disreputable 

*The  writer  is  indebted  to  Colonel  Partridge  for  the 
first  information  about  the  cruise  and  the  cruisers,  and  he 
takes  pleasure  in  acknowledging  his  obligation. 
292 


FROM   NEW   YORK   TO   ALBANY 

patrons  previous  to  closing  up,  and  several  times 
lie  had  crossed  to  the  other  side  to  avoid  coming 
into  direct  contact  with  them. 

As  he  sat  on  the  stringpiece  over  the  water, 
looking  off  to  where  the  bright  lantern  marked 
his  floating  home,  he  suddenly  realized  instinc 
tively  that  some  one  was  coming  stealthily  up  be 
hind  him;  with  a  tight  grip  on  his  nerves  he 
turned  slowly  as  if  perfectly  calm,  to  see  who 
it  was. 

The  arc  lights  along  the  street  cast  a  flare  of 
strong  light  directly  about  the  poles  supporting 
them,  but  a  little  way  off  the  shadows  were  cor 
respondingly  dense.  Lurking  in  one  of  these 
spots  of  shadow,  Kenneth  saw  the  figure  of  a  man 
approaching  him  noiselessly.  There  was  that 
about  him  which  told  that  he  had  been  drinking. 
A  stray  ray  of  light  showed  the  boy  the  cruel, 
debased,  evil  face  and  he  looked  about  for  a  way 
of  escape.  The  buildings  fronting  on  the  street 
were  closed  tight,  their  inhabitants  fast  asleep — 
no  shelter  there;  back  of  him,  the  river  lay  black, 
ready  to  completely  engulf  whatever  might  fall 
into  it.  "  And  I  haven't  got  a  thing  to  defend 
myself  with,"  the  boy  said  to  himself.  The 
drunken  man  approached  nearer,  an  unpleasant 
leer  on  his  face. 

"  Say,  Jack,  give  us  the  price  of  a  drink,"  he 
293 


A   7 EAR   IN   A    YAWL 

said  in  a  tone  that  suggested  more  clearly  than 
words,  "  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

Kenneth  thought  of  the  roll  of  bills  in  his 
pocket,  and  glanced  at  the  dark  water  below  him, 
then  like  a  flash  it  occurred  to  him  that  the  bum 
had  taken  him  for  a  sailor — a  man-o'-warsman — 
and  a  plan  suggested  itself  to  him  which  he  im 
mediately  proceeded  to  put  into  execution. 

It  was  rather  difficult  for  him  to  assume  the 
gruff,  husky  voice  of  a  hard  drinker,  but  he  man 
aged  it  pretty  well.  "  Sorry  I  can't  'commodate 
you,  mate,"  he  said,  gruffly,  "  but  I'm  busted — 
clean,  and  looking  for  a  berth.  Got  shore  leave, 
and  blew  in  all  my  dough.  Got  jagged  and  don't 
know  how  to  get  back  to  the  ship." 

The  boy  almost  gagged  at  the  language,  but 
he  played  the  game  well,  and  the  bluff  worked, 
for  the  drunk  was  satisfied.  He  said  something 
about  "  hard  luck  when  a  bloke  hasn't  got  the 
price  of  a  drink  in  his  clothes,"  and  slouched  off. 
Ransom  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief,  but  not  till  he 
was  safe  aboard  the  yacht  did  he  feel  entirely 
comfortable. 

The  Erie  Canal  begins  at  Albany,  but  the  boys 
had  been  told  that  they  had  better  enter  the  big 
ditch  at  Troy,  about  seven  miles  up  the  river. 

~No  sooner  had  the  "  Gazelle  "  come  to  a  stop 
inside  the  canal  basin  than  captain  and  crew  were 
294 


FROM  NEW   JORK   TO   ALBANY 

besieged  by  people  wanting  to  get  the  job  of  tow 
ing  them  to  Buffalo. 

"  Take  you  through  for  a  hundred  and  ten  dol 
lars,  sir/'  said  one. 

"  Oh,  g'wan,"  said  another,  "  he's  robbing  yer. 
I'll  take  yer  through  for  seventy-five." 

"  And  I've  got  twenty,"  Ransom  said  to  him 
self. 

The  lowest  offer  was  sixty-five  dollars,  and  at 
that  they  would  have  to  tag  on  to  the  end  of  a 
fleet  of  grain  boats  that  could  not  possibly  get 
through  inside  of  two  weeks.  Every  minute  was 
precious  now,  for  before  very  long  ice  would 
form  and  navigation  would  be  closed  on  the  lakes. 

It  was  a  discouraging  outlook,  but  the  boys, 
nevertheless,  made  ready  for  the  long  trip  across 
the  State.  With  the  aid  of  a  derrick,  the  yawl's 
masts  were  taken  out,  her  rigging  dismantled  and 
running  gear  unrove  and  neatly  coiled.  By 
nightfall,  the  "  Gazelle "  was  completely  un 
rigged  and  reminded  one,  as  Frank  suggested,  of 
"  a  man  whose  head  had  been  shaved." 

"  If  you  won't  pay  the  price  to  be  towed 
through,  what  are  you  going  to  do?"  Arthur 
asked  when  all  were  sitting  in  the  cabin. 

"  Tow  her  by  hand,"  Kenneth  asserted. 

"  What,  four  hundred  miles  by  hand?  " 

"Yup!" 

295 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

"Well,  I  pass!  "said  Frank. 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  want  to  be  a  mule  all  the 
way  to  Buffalo/7  said  Arthur  in  a  manner  sug 
gestive  of  antagonism.  "  I  wouldn't  mind  it  for 
forty  or  fifty  miles;  but  four  hundred!  "Well,  I 
guess  not." 

There  was  gloom  in  the  little  cabin  that  night, 
in  spite  of  the  brightly  burning  lamp. 

"With  the  morning,  came  a  friend  who  was  a 
friend  indeed.  An  old  canal  man  had  read  the 
story  of  the  cruise  in  an  Albany  paper,  and  ad 
miring  the  pluck  of  the  boys  had  proceeded  to 
look  them  up. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do,"  said  he,  when  he 
learned  of  their  predicament.  "  You  buy  a 
horse  at  this  end  and  sell  him  at  the  other." 

"  Buy  a  horse ;  what  do  you  take  us  for, 
millionaires?  "  Arthur  voiced  the  sentiments  of 
the  crowd. 

"  ^N"aw,"  responded  the  newly-found  friend, 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  as  he  surveyed  the  far 
from  fashionable  clothes  they  wore ;  "  you  don't 
have  to  be  a  Vanderbilt;  you  can  buy  a  horse  for 
twenty  dollars,  perhaps  less." 

It  ended  by  Ransom  going  off  with  the  man 

to  search  for  a  good,  cheap  nag.     At  the  end  of 

an  hour  or  so  the  skipper  returned,  leading  a 

horse  by  a  rather  dilapidated  bridle.     The  beast 

206 


FROM   NEW   YORK   TO   ALBANY 

walked  without  a  limp,  and  seemed  healthy;  but 
by  her  looks  one  would  think  that  she  had  more 
that  the  stipulated  number  of  ribs — they  were 
so  very  much  in  evidence. 

"  Good  gracious,  look  at  the  boneyard  Ken  is 
leading!  "  Frank  laughed  derisively. 

"  What  is  it?  "  Arthur  asked  impolitely. 

"  IV s  our  one-horse-power  engine.  IV s  name 
is  '  Step  Lively  ?;  it  is  going  to  tow  us  to  Buffalo; 
and  it  cost  twelve  dollars,  harness  included, 
6  Dirt  cheap,  sir/  ' 

Frank  and  Arthur  laughed  him  to  scorn;  but 
next  morning  they  hitched  up  "  Step  Lively  " 
and  started  on  their  way. 


297 


CHAPTEK  XVII 
ALONG  THE  "KAGING  CANAL" 

"  It's  fourteen  miles  from  Schenectady  to  Troy, 
And  that's  a  blame  long  walk,  my  boy," 

Kenneth  sang  as  he  walked  along  behind  "  Step 
Lively/'  who,  true  to  her  name,  set  off  at  a  good 
pace. 

Arthur  and  Frank  lay  back  in  the  cockpit  and 
shouted  remarks  to  the  captain  on  the  tow  path. 

"  You  just  wait/'  he  yelled  back;  "  I'll  bet  our 
one-horse-power  engine  will  be  fatter  when  we 
get  to  Buffalo  than  she  is  now." 

Forward  on  the  deck  house  of  the  mastless 
yacht  was  stowed  a  generous  bale  of  hay  and  bags 
of  ground  feed;  fuel  for  the  one-horse  engine. 

Twenty-five  miles  were  covered  the  first  day, 
and  at  dusk  the  faithful  beast  was  stalled  in  a 
shed  close  to  the  big  ditch  with  a  plentiful  supply 
of  feed.  She  was  apparently  very  content  with 
her  lot,  and  the  scoffers  had  to  admit  that,  per 
haps,  after  all,  the  old  nag  was  a  good  investment. 
298 


ALONG    THE    "RAGING    CANAL" 

The  canal  wound  its  sinuous  way  through  the 
beautiful  Mohawk  Valley,  the  land  of  Goshen  of 
the  Empire  State;  great  undulating  fields  of  cul 
tivated  land  lay  on  either  side  of  the  narrow  strip 
of  water.  "  Step  Lively's  "  slow  but  steady  pace 
gave  the  boys  a  full  opportunity  to  see  the  coun 
try  through  which  they  were  passing  and  they 
agreed  that  it  was  well  worth  coming  so  far  to 
view. 

Each  took  a  turn  driving  the  horse  one  hour  on 
and  two  hours  off — watch  and  watch  all  day.  At 
night  the  old  mare  was  comfortably  bedded 
down  in  some  old  barn  on  the  canal  bank  and  all 
hands  slept  undisturbed. 

"  Step  Lively  "  knew  the  canal  much  better 
than  did  the  boys,  for  she  had  been  over  the  tow- 
path  many  times,  and  driving  meant  little  more 
than  keeping  her  at  a  steady  even  pace,  which, 
though  slow,  ate  up  the  miles  at  a  satisfactory 
rate. 

"  Let's  see,  who  runs  the  engine  first  to-day  ?  " 
Ransom  looked  around  at  the  other  two  one 
morning. 

"Not  I,"  said  Arthur.  "I  held  the  throttle 
the  last  hour,  and  put  her  up  for  the  night." 

"  Nor  I,"  protested  Frank.  "  I  'tended  sheet 
and  was  at  the  helm  the  hour  before." 

"  Well,  then,  I  suppose  it's  up  to  me  to  handle 


A    TEAR   IN  A   JAWL 

the  ribbons/'  and  Kenneth  stepped  ashore  to 
start  the  old  mare  on  her  day's  work.  "  You've 
got  your  metaphors  well  mixed  up;  a  fellow  over 
hearing  us  talk  couldn't  tell  whether  we  had  a 
locomotive,  a  boat,  or  a  horse  to  tow  us." 

In  spite  of  the  parleying,  the  "  Gazelle  "  was 
soon  moving  along  once  more.  Ransom  walked 
behind  the  mare,  reins  in  hand,  or  walked  just 
ahead,  setting  the  pace.  The  long  line  stretched 
behind,  sagging  in  the  water,  making  long  rip 
ples  on  the  placid  water  ahead  of  the  yacht's  keen 
prow.  Frank,  with  his  hand  on  the  tiller,  kept 
the  boat  in  the  middle,  while  Arthur,  having 
nothing  else  to  do,  lay  prone,  basking  in  the  sun. 

"  Say,  Art,"  Frank  inquired  drowsily,  "  did 
Ken  read  to  you  that  part  of  his  father's  letter 
where  he  warned  us  not  to  get  wrecked  on  the 
canal?" 

"  Yes,"  the  other  answered,  "  and  I  thought  it 
the  most  foolish  piece  of  advice  I  ever  heard. 
Wrecked  in  this  old  ditch!  I  would  as  soon 
think  of  being  wrecked  in  a  bath  tub." 

But  later  they  both  had  cause  to  remember 
the  warning. 

When  the  hour  was  up,  Kenneth  came  aboard, 

Frank  took  the  reins,  and  Arthur  his  place  at 

the  stick.      Frank  had  not  been  driving  long 

when  he  met  a  four-horse  team  pulling  a  train 

300 


§  a 

2  5 


O     fa 

n    o 
O     X 


JL 


ALONG    THE   "RAGING    CANAL" 

of  three  heavy  canal  boats.  The  driver  stopped 
accommodatingly,  and  allowed  his  tow  line  to 
sag  so  "  Step  Lively  "  and  the  yacht  could  pass 
over  it.  Frank  thanked  him  and  went  over,  but 
hardly  had  the  mare's  heels  got  over  the 
stranger's  line  than  he  whipped  up  and  tautened 
it.  Kenneth,  who  was  watching,  said,  "  Look  at 
that  chap,  Art;  he  thinks  he  is  going  to  snap  '  His 
Nibs  '  off  with  his  line,  but  you  watch." 

The  small  boat  was  towing  behind  the  larger 
boat,  and  the  driver  of  the  four-horse  team  fig 
ured  that  when  his  tow-rope  had  passed  under 
the  "  Gazelle  "  it  would  snap  up  and  yank  "  His 
Nibs  "  from  her  fastenings.  Soon  the  tow-line 
could  be  felt  rubbing  along  on  the  yacht's  keel, 
then,  for  an  instant,  there  was  a  pause,  while 
both  teams  pulled  with  all  their  might  in  oppo 
site  directions;  the  tow-lines  tautened  like  harp 
strings,  and  the  water  was  sent  flying  in  all  direc 
tions  by  the  vibration.  Suddenly  the  stranger's 
line  parted,  cut  in  two  by  the  "  Gazelle's  "  sharp 
plate  rudder;  the  four  horses  almost  fell  on  their 
heads,  and  the  driver,  who  was  riding  one  of 
them,  barely  escaped  a  ducking  in  the  canal.  Re 
lieved  of  their  accustomed  burden,  the  team 
started  off  on  a  run,  and  the  driver,  picking  him 
self  up,  ran  after  them,  swearing  loudly,  and 
ever  and  anon  turning  to  shake  his  fist  at  the 
301 


A    TEAR  IN  A    JAWL 

boys.  These  threatening  gestures  were  received 
with  roars  of  laughter,  which  continued  long 
after  the  runaway  team  and  the  angry  driver  had 
disappeared  round  a  bend. 

All  along  the  canal  small  stores  were  kept  for 
the  convenience  of  the  canal  men  and  their  fami 
lies.  Food  was  cheap,  and  therefore  abundant, 
and  the  boys  thrived  under  the  easy  life,  the 
nourishing  fare,  and  the  open-air  exercise.  In 
spite  of  the  eight  or  ten  miles  of  walking  each  of 
them  put  in  every  day,  they  began  to  get  fat. 
"  Step  Lively  "  also  showod  signs  of  her  good 
care;  her  ribs  became  less  evident,  and  her  coat 
showed  signs  of  glossiness. 

Considerable  affection  had  sprung  up  in  the 
boys'  hearts  for  their  "  one-horse-power  engine," 
as  they  called  their  steed.  She  was  such  a  faith 
ful  old  beast,  and  did  her  work  so  uncomplain 
ingly.  It  was  with  real  grief  and  alarm,  there 
fore,  that  Kenneth  saw  early  one  morning  that 
the  stall  the  mare  had  occupied  was  empty  and 
the  ring  bolt  to  which  her  halter  had  been  made 
fast  was  pulled  clear  out  of  the  decayed  wood. 

Delayed  by  a  visit  to  friends  chance  had 
thrown  in  their  way,  the  skipper  had  risen  at 
3  A.  M.  in  order  to  make  up  for  lost  time.  But, 
lo  and  behold!  the  steed  had  fled.  Without  a 
horse  they  could  not  proceed,  and  there  was  not 
302 


ALONG    THE    "RAGING    CANAL" 

enough  money  in  the  crowd  to  buy  another — 
even  at  twelve  dollars. 

"We  are  certainly  up  against  it,"  Kenneth 
said  to  himself,  as  he  examined  the  damp  ground 
for  hoof  prints.  He  found  a  few  marks,  but 
these  were  lost  in  the  lush  grass  surrounding  the 
stable,  and  all  hope  of  tracing  the  nag  by  that 
means  had  to  be  given  up. 

A  howl  of  dismay  went  up  from  the  other  two 
when  the  skipper  told  of  their  loss. 

"  I  bet  she's  five  miles  off  by  this  time." 

"  We'll  never  see  her  again,"  was  Arthur's 
comforting  prophecy. 

It  was  a  very  serious  situation.  Over  two  hun 
dred  miles  of  canal  remained  to  be  covered,  the 
cold  season  was  coming  on  fast,  and  there  was 
not  a  minute  to  be  lost  if  the  homestretch  of  the 
journey  was  to  be  traversed  this  year.  The  com 
bined  funds  could  pay  for  neither  tow  nor  another 
horse,  and  "  Step  Lively,"  their  sole  dependence, 
was  gone. 

"  After  breakfast,  when  it  gets  light,"  said  the 
skipper,  putting  his  plan  into  words,  "  we'll  di 
vide  up,  each  will  go  in  a  different  direction,  and 
perhaps  we  will  round  her  up." 

It  was  a  gloomy  breakfast  the  boys  hurried 
through  that  morning.  The  gray  light  of  early 
morning  turned  the  cabin  lamplight  a  sickly  yel- 


A   JEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

low  and  showed  the  faces  of  the  boys  frowning 
and  dejected. 

While  Kenneth  was  downing  the  last  mouth 
ful  of  coffee,  they  heard  the  hollow  thump,  thump 
of  a  horse's  hoofs  on  the  bridge  just  above  them. 
Ransom  rushed  on  deck  to  ask  the  driver  of  the 
supposed  team  if  a  stray  horse  had  been  seen, 
and,  to  his  utter  surprise  and  delight,  found 
"  Step  Lively  "  on  the  canal  bank  gazing  at  the 
yacht,  as  if  to  say,  "  Well,  boys,  I've  had  a  bully 
time;  but  let's  be  going." 

The  skipper  nearly  fell  overboard  in  his  eager 
ness  to  reach  the  land  and  see  if  it  was  indeed 
the  faithful  old  beast.  Sure  enough,  there  was 
no  mistaking  that  drooping  under  lip  and  re 
signed  pose. 

"  Well,  old  nag,  you  deserve  a  ten-acre  lot  to 
rest  your  old  bones  upon  and  a  lump  of  sugar 
fresh  every  hour,  but  you've  got  to  get  a  gait  on," 
and  Kenneth  Ransom,  chief  hostler,  chief  coach 
man,  and  skipper,  harnessed  her  up. 

As  the  boys  proceeded  on  their  journey,  the 
horse  developed  a  bad  tendency  to  interfere,  and 
to  prevent  a  raw  sore  from  forming,  a  boot  was 
put  over  the  place  where  the  hoof  came  in  con 
tact  with  the  other  leg. 

It  became  the  duty  of  the  boy  who  drove  the 
last  hour,  when  stabling  "  Step  Lively,"  to  take 
304 


ALONG    THE   ''RAGING    CANAL" 

off  the  boot.  If  left  on  all  night  the  leg  would 
swell,  and  the  horse  would,  in  consequence,  go 
lame  next  day.  As  a  penalty  for  the  breaking 
of  this  rule,  it  was  decreed  that  the  offender  must 
wash  dishes  every  day  for  a  week. 

Before  the  boys  had  this  understanding  with 
each  other,  the  poor  old  mare  started  her  day's 
work  with  a  lame  leg  several  times,  but  after  the 
rule  was  made  their  memories  improved,  and 
"  Step  Lively  "  was  soon  well  again. 

One  evening  it  was  Arthur's  turn  to  put  the 
horse  up  for  the  night.  He  did  it  with  consider 
able  grumbling,  for  he  was  in  a  hurry  to  get  be 
low  in  the  snug  little  cabin.  The  wind  blew 
round  the  big  deserted  barn  where  the  'horse  was 
to  be  stabled  for  the  night;  it  whistled  round  the 
eaves  and  rattled  the  loose  boards  of  the  walls. 
At  a  little  distance  was  an  old  inn  or  hotel,  that 
was  also  deserted  and  stood  black  and  desolate 
in  the  gloom;  one  of  the  few  remaining  window 
panes  caught  the  last  gleam  of  the  setting  sun 
and  glowed  with  the  redness  of  an  evil  eye. 
Arthur  made  haste  to  get  aboard,  and  once 
below,  allowed  himself  the  luxury  of  a  good 
shiver. 

"  Phew!  that's  an  uncanny  place,"  he  said,  as 
he  sat  down  to  the  meal  Frank  had  already  pre 
pared. 

20  305 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

Ransom  kicked  Chauvet  under  the  table,  to 
put  him  on  to  the  game.  "  Yes,  I  hear  the  house 
is  haunted."  The  wind  howled,  as  if  to  confirm 
the  fact,  and  a  puff  came  down  the  companion- 
way  hatch  and  made  the  lamp  flicker. 

Frank  and  Kenne  th  kept  up  a  fire  of  ghost  stor 
ies,  so  that  their  own  hair  showed  a  tendency  to 
rise,  while  Arthur  was  visibly  unnerved. 

As  the  wind  gave  a  particularly  weird  shriek, 
Kenneth  made  a  scratching  noise  on  the  centre 
board  trunk. 

"What's  that?  "  said  Arthur,  startled. 

"  What's  what?  "  Frank  inquired,  innocently. 

"That  noise — hear  it?  "  —Arthur  paused  to 
listen — "  sounds  like  a  person  or  dog  scratching 
to  get  in." 

"  Oh,  it's  your  imagination,  I  guess." 

"  By  the  way,  Art,  did  you  take  the  boot  off 
'  Step  Lively'?" 

"  Sure!  "  he  answered. 

"  I'll  bet  you  didn't;  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  get 
out  of  the  wind  and  aboard." 

"  I  know  I  did— at  least  I  think  I  did." 

"  Gee,  that's  a  queer  noise,"  Kenneth  inter 
rupted  the  inquiry  to  say.  The  wind  made  a 
noise  like  one  in  torment,  and  the  light  flickered 
again. 

"  I'll  give  you  two  dollars  if  you  go  out  and 
306 


ALONG    THE   "RAGING    CANAL" 

make  sure.  It's  up  to  you,  and  don't  forget  the 
week's  dishwashing  if  we  find  the  boot  on  in  the 
morning." 

The  thought  of  a  week  of  dishwashing  braced 
the  mate,  and,  lighting  a  lantern,  he  pushed  open 
the  companionway  door  and  went  out. 

Almost  immediately  he  was  back  again,  white 
and  shaking.  "  Say,  boys,  saw  something  queer 
in  there — something  white  moving  round — 
sure  's  you're  born !  " 

"  Did  you  find  out  about  the  boot?  "  inquired 
Ransom,  inexorably. 

"No;  didn't  wait." 

"  You  had  better  go  and  find  out." 

"  I  wouldn't  be  hired  to  go  in  there." 

"  Well,  we'll  find  out."  Frank  wore  a  superior 
air,  but  he  kept  close  to  Kenneth  for  all  that. 

The  whispers  of  the  wind  grew  into  shrieks  as 
they  approached  the  barn,  and,  as  Frank  reached 
out  his  hand  to  grasp  the  door-catch,  a  damp  leaf 
slapped  his  face.  Opening  the  door  cautiously, 
they  poked  in  their  heads  and  looked.  Startled, 
they  saw  a  dim  gray  shape  in  the  middle  of  the 
big  open  space,  and  as  they  were  about  to  turn 
and  run,  the  ghost  stamped  hard  and  whinnied 
gently.  "  Step  Lively  "  was  glad  to  see  some 
thing  alive  and  human. 

"Hullo,  old  beast,  broke  loose,  did  you?" 
307 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

Kenneth  was  very  bold;  went  up  to  the  horse, 
felt  her  leg. 

"  Boot's  off,  all  right,  but  we've  got  the  laugh 
on  Art." 

"  He  pretty  nearly  got  the  laugh  on  us,"  Frank 
remarked,  honestly. 

tl  Saw  your  ghost,  old  man,"  Kenneth  re 
marked  airily  when  they  entered  the  cabin,  "  and 
tied  her  up  good  and  strong  this  time." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  it  was  the  mare?" 
Arthur  had  visions  of  the  guying  he  was  bound 
to  get. 

"Yep.  Let's  call  her  '  G'host '  after  this. 
What  do  you  say,  Frank?  " 

"  Oh,  quit !     I'll  wash  dishes  if  you  let  up." 

It  was  only  necessary  to  say  ghost  to  Arthur 
after  this  episode  to  reduce  the  swelling  of  his 
head  to  the  humblest  proportions. 

"  Step  Lively "  settled  down  to  good,  hard, 
steady  work  after  her  various  adventures,  and  the 
"  Gazelle "  made  her  way  over  the  "  raging- 
canal  "  at  a  good  round  pace. 

The  boys  met  many  people  on  the  way;  some 
were  pleasant  and  courteous,  and  a  few  were  in 
clined  to  make  disagreeable  remarks.  To  these 
the  boys  paid  no  attention,  and  the  remarks  fell 
flat,  having  nothing  to  feed  upon. 

The  locks,  by  means  of  which  the  boats  passed 


ALONG    THE    "RAGING    CANAL" 

from  one  level  to  another,  were  encountered  at 
frequent  intervals.  Occasionally,  a  lock  tender 
would  be  disinclined  to  take  the  trouble  to  let  the 
yacht  pass,  and  made  it  as  hard  for  the  boys  as 
possible.  And  at  one  time  it  seemed  certain  that 
both  the  yacht  and  a  member  of  the  crew  would 
be  destroyed. 

One  afternoon  the  boys  approached  the  great 
wooden  portals  of  a  lock  and  blew  a  horn  to  notify 
the  keeper  that  they  wished  to  enter;  he  was  a 
surly  chap,  and  grumblingly  set  to  work  to  ad 
mit  the  yacht.  The  "  Gazelle  "  once  inside,  the 
heavy  wooden  barriers  were  closed,  two  lines 
were  run  from  the  bitts  forward  to  snubbing 
posts,  in  order  to  keep  her  straight  in  the  lock; 
and  Arthur,  with  a  long,  heavy  pole  in  hand, 
stood  ready  to  fend  her  off  from  the  rocky  sides. 
Frank  looked  after  the  horse,  while  Kenneth 
helped  the  keeper.  Usually  the  water  from 
the  higher  level  was  let  in  gradually,  but  this 
keeper  was  in  an  ugly  temper,  and  allowed  the 
water  to  come  in  with  a  rush.  The  "  Grazelle," 
bouyant,  rose  light  as  a  cork,  and  Arthur  pushed 
with  all  his  might  on  the  stout  pole  to  keep  her 
from  being  dented  by  the  cruel  rocks.  The 
water  came  boiling  into  the  basin,  and  the  yacht 
rocked  and  strained  at  her  mooring  lines.  Sud 
denly  one  of  them  parted,  and,  the  strain  being 
809 


A   YEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

unequal,  she  swung  sharply  to  one  side.  Ar 
thur  pushed  with  might  and  main,  but  the  side 
long  swing  of  the  three-ton  boat  was  too  much 
for  him;  his  pole  was  caught  against  the  side  of 
the  lock  and  he  was  jerked  overboard  into  the 
seething  pool. 

"Art's  overboard!  "  cried  Frank.  "He  will 
be  crushed,  sure." 

"  Shut  off  the  water,  for  heaven's  sake!  " 

They  looked  into  the  narrow  basin,  but  not  a 
sign  could  they  see  of  him.  The  water  swirled 
and  eddied,  formed  little  whirlpools,  dashed 
miniature  breakers  against  the  rocky  walls,  and 
receded.  All  the  time  the  yacht  swung  nearer 
and  nearer  the  masonry,  and  the  boys  knew  that 
unless  he  escaped  by  a  miracle  Arthur  would  be 
crushed  between. 

For  a  minute  the  two  boys  gazed  helpless,  then 
a  plan  occurred  to  the  skipper,  which  he  pro 
ceeded  to  execute  instantly.  Taking  the  broken 
end  of  the  parted  line,  all  the  slack  possible  hav 
ing  been  let  out,  he  stood  on  the  capstone  of  the 
lock  and  measured  the  distance  between  it  and 
the  unsteady  yacht.  It  was  a  long  leap  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances,  and  the  handi 
cap  of  the  heavy  rope  and  the  heaving  deck  of 
the  vessel,  such  a  long  way  out  and  so  far  below, 
made  the  chances  of  failure  infinitely  greater — • 
310 


ALONG    THE   "RAGING    CANAL" 

and  failure  in  this  case  meant  almost  certain 
death.  For  an  instant  he  hesitated,  then,  fearful 
lest  his  resolution  should  fail  him  if  he  waited 
longer,  he  sprang  over  the  tossing,  swirling  water 
straight  for  the  yacht's  deck.  With  scarcely  six 
inches  to  spare,  he  landed  with  a  jar  that  dazed 
him  for  a  second.  With  the  line  still  in  his  hand, 
he  ran  forward  and  made  it  fast  to  the  bitts,  so 
that  the  "  Gazelle  "  once  more  swung  straight  in 
the  pool. 

"Do  you  see  him?"  Frank  cried  anxiously 
from  the  shore. 

Kenneth  looked  into  the  bubbling  water  for 
signs  of  the  mate.  It  was  hardly  more  than  a 
minute  or  two  since  the  skipper  had  cried,  "  Shut 
off  the  water!  "  but  Arthur  might  have  met  his 
doom  in  even  that  short  time. 

"  I  am  afraid  he's  a  goner/7  Hansom  answered. 
"  I  can't  see  him." 

"  You  can't  lose  me !  " 

It  was  Arthur's  familiar  voice,  and  came  from 
below  aft  somewhere. 

"Where  are  you?" 

"  Astern  here,  having  a  swim." 

Kenneth  rushed  aft  and  caught  sight  of  the 
mate's  legs  thrashing  around  under  the  overhang. 

With  rare  presence  of  mind  he  had  done  the 
one  thing  that  could  save  him.  Finding  himself 
311 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

overboard,  he  swam  with  swift  strokes  aft  and 
clung,  in  spite  of  the  twisting  and  rocking  of  the 
yacht,  to  the  rudder.  The  overhang  protected 
him  from  all  harm,  and  beyond  a  chill  produced 
by  the  cold  water  he  was  unhurt. 

The  lock-keeper,  thoroughly  scared  by  the  con 
sequences  of  his  ill-temper,  tried  to  make  amends 
by  letting  in  the  water  so  gently  that  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  reached  the  upper  level  with  scarcely  a 
tremor. 

"  These  very  narrow  escapes  are  trying,  to  say 
the  least,"  Frank  remarked,  as  "  Step  Lively  " 
once  more  got  going. 

"  Yes,  if  we  really  had  any  skin  on  our  teeth 
it  would  have  been  worn  off  long  ago,"  said 
Arthur,  as  he  appeared  on  deck  in  dry  clothes, 
smiling  cheerfully. 

While  the  "  one-horse  motor  "  could  not  be 
classed  as  a  high-speed  engine,  the  old  mare 
plugged  along  with  a  steady  gait  that  covered  the 
miles  at  a  speed  sufficient  for  the  purpose.  It 
was  a  great  trip,  and  the  boys  agreed  that  it  would 
be  hard  to  find  a  better  way  to  see  the  country. 
Many  of  the  important  cities  of  the  Empire  State 
were  cut  in  two  parts  by  the  canal,  and  as  the 
boys  passed  through  at  the  two-miles-an-hour 
pace,  they  had  plenty  of  time  to  go  ashore  and 
see  things — the  great  electric  works  of  The 
312 


ALONG    THE    "RAGING    CANAL" 

General  Electric  Co.  at  Schenectady,  the  optical 
and  camera  works  at  Rochester.  Troy,  Schenec 
tady,  Utica,  Rome,  Syracuse,  Rochester,  and  a 
score  of  other  towns  whose  names  are  familiar  all 
over  the  United  States  were  visited. 

They  passed  many  sorts  of  vessels  carrying  car 
goes  of  freight  over  the  great  water  highway  of 
the  State.  Canal  boats,  laden  with  lumber  and 
grain,  in  fleets,  single  file,  drawn  by  teams  of 
from  two  to  six  mules,  eastward  bound,  the  water 
within  eighteen  inches  of  the  decks.  Forward 
on  many  of  the  boats  was  a  box-like  compartment 
for  the  steeds  when  off  duty,  and  it  was  a  com 
mon  thing  to  see  the  head  of  a  mule  sticking  out 
above  the  deck,  "  viewing  the  landscape  o'er." 
Whole  families  lived  aboard  these  queer  vessels; 
clothes  were  washed  and  spread  to  dry  on  the 
little  backyard-like  piece  of  deck  over  the  cabin- 
house.  Sometimes  boxes  of  brilliant  geraniums 
were  placed  to  protect  the  family  from  the  public 
gaze,  and  occasionally,  under  an  awning  spread 
over  the  cabin  roof,  a  woman  sat  and  sewed, 
rocking  a  cradle  with  her  foot. 

There  was  a  constant  procession  of  boats  of 
many  kinds,  floating  high  as  a  rule  when  going 
westward,  but  laden  down  within  a  foot  or  two 
of  the  scupper  holes  when  eastward  bound. 

One  morning  the  "  Gazelle  "  passed  three  im- 
313 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

mense  iron  grain  boats  tied  up  to  the  stone-lined 
bank.  They  were  empty,  and  loomed  up  be 
side  the  yacht  like  small  mountains. 

Later  that  same  day  they  had  occasion  to  re 
member  those  boats. 

They  made  a  good  day's  run,  and  night  found 
them  tied  up  to  snubbing  posts  placed  for  the 
purpose;  their  lanterns  displayed,  they  went  to 
bed,  each  with  a  light  conscience  and  heavy  eye 
lids.  The  open-air  exercise  and  active  appetites 
made  the  boys  sleep  solid  as  logs.  The  grain 
boats  they  saw  in  the  morning  came  along,  towed 
by  a  steam  barge;  tooted  for  the  lock  to  be 
opened,  and  two  of  the  boats  passed  through.  But 
the  boys  never  stirred.  The  third  boat  was  left 
to  her  own  control,  and,  being  without  sails  or 
steam,  she  drifted  with  the  wind  unhampered. 
Unladen,  her  high  sides  offered  a  splendid  sur 
face  to  the  breeze,  and  she  drifted  sidewise  to 
wards  the  "  Gazelle.7'  Black  and  remorseless, 
she  swung  towards  the  little  yacht  nestling  close 
to  the  rock-lined  bank  of  the  canal.  The  grain 
boat's  one  human  passenger  sat  sleepily  on  a 
great  cleat  aft  and  dozed.  The  boys  slept  on,  all 
unconscious  of  their  impending  doom.  Slowly, 
slowly,  she  drifted  nearer,  until  she  touched  the 
"  Gazelle's  "  sides.  The  ironclad's  hulk  was 
great,  and,  driven  by  the  wind  against  her  tall 
314 


ALONG    THE   "RAGING    CANAL" 

sides,  she  pushed  the  yacht  steadily  until  the 
smaller  boat  was  hard  against  the  shelving  rocky 
bank.  Still  the  pressure  continued,  and  she  be 
gan  to  be  pushed  up  out  of  the  water  by  the  tre 
mendous  squeeze.  All  three  boys  were  stirred 
into  wakefulness  by  the  first  upward  lift. 

The  first  sound  that  reached  their  ears  was  the 
groaning  of  the  timbers  under  the  tremendous 
grip  of  stone  and  iron. 

Instantly  the  words  of  the  elder  Ransom 
flashed  into  Kenneth's  mind. 

"  Look  out  and  don't  get  wrecked  on  the 
canal/'  he  had  written. 

Something,  the  boy  knew  not  what,  held  his 
beloved  vessel  in  its  grip.  Some  tremendous 
power  was  crushing  his  vessel  as  a  strong  hand 
grinds  an  almond  shell  to  fragments.  The 
tongued  and  grooved  cherry  woodwork  of  the 
cabin  creaked,  snapped,  and,  as  they  looked, 
was  forced  out  at  the  joints  by  the  fearful 
pressure. 

"With  a  cry  that  was  half  a  groan,  Kenneth 
rushed  on  deck,  followed  by  Arthur  and  Frank. 
The  great  iron  sides  loomed  above  them  black 
and  implacable. 

For  an  instant  he  stood  dazed,  uncomprehend 
ing,  then  he  realized  the  situation — realized  that 
the  mighty  floating  fabric  of  iron,  forced  by  the 
315 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 


wind  beyond  the  power  of  human  hands  and 
human  brains  to  check  it,  was  slowly  grinding 
the  doomed  yacht  to  kindlings.  He  could  not 
bear  to  think  of  his  vessel  a  wreck,  and,  for  a 
moment,  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hand. 


316 


CHAPTEK   XVIII 

IN   THE   GEIP   OF   IRON  AND   STONE 

The  great  vessel  squeezed  the  yacht  even 
tighter,  and  the  boys  could  feel  the  deck  under 
their  feet  bent  upward  by  the  pressure. 

It  was  intolerable.  Kenneth's  vessel  was  actu 
ally  being  destroyed  under  him  and  110  move  of 
his  could  prevent  it. 

Beside  himself  with  despair  and  rage,  he 
shouted  at  the  blank  wall  of  the  grain  boat,  and 
in  blind  fury  put  his  hands  against  it  and  pushed 
—his  puny  strength  against  a  thousand  tons. 

"  It's  a  wonder  you  boys  don't  go  to  sleep  after 
a  day  on  the  path."  The  speaker's  head  showed 
over  the  rail  of  the  barge. 

The  fearful  mockery  of  his  words  drove  poor 
Kenneth  almost  crazy,  and  he  shouted  at  the  man 
words  that  had  no  meaning — inarticulate  sounds 
that  voiced  his  agony. 

Still  the  crush  continued,  until  the  yacht  was 
forced  almost  out  of  water  and  her  deck  was 
317 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

squeezed  into  a  sharp,  convex  curve.  The  poor 
boat  groaned,  as  if  in  pain. 

The  man  on  the  barge  looked  down  on  the  ter 
rified  boys  calmly,  stupidly;  perfectly  aware  that 
by  no  act  of  his  could  he  avert  the  catastrophe. 

But  still  the  pressure  continued.  The  boys 
gathered  their  scattered  wits  together,  and,  with 
energy  that  seemed  futile  even  as  they  called, 
shouted  for  help. 

Then  came  an  answering  shout,  a  sound  of 
moving  feet  on  the  grain  barge's  deck,  a  sharp, 
urging  call  to  a  team,  the  snap  of  a  whiplash. 
The  barge  began  to  slide  off,  and  the  "  Gazelle," 
released  from  the  powerful  grip,  settled  down. 
Kenneth  and  his  friends  stood  poised,  ready  to 
spring  ashore  when  the  vessel — her  seams  opened 
to  the  flood — should  sink. 

With  a  slowness  that  was  nerve-racking,  the 
iron  monster  moved  away  until  the  yac'ht  was 
wholly  released;  with  a  groan  that  was  like  a  sigh 
of  relief  she  settled  to  her  normal  water  line, 
bobbed  up  and  down  a  little,  as  if  to  adjust  herself 
to  her  more  comfortable  position,  and  floated 
quietly  and  safe. 

Kenneth  could  not  believe  his  eyes,  but  rushed 

below,  and,  pulling  up  the  square  trap  in  the 

cabin  floor,  thrust  his  hand  far  into  the  bilge, 

expecting  to  see  the  water  come  bubbling  out  of 

318 


IN   THE    GRIP   OF   IRON   AND    STONE 

the  well.  He  was  beside  himself  with  joy  to  find 
no  oozing  seams,  no  leaking  crannies — she  was 
dry. 

He  shouted  aloud  to  his  friends  on  deck  the 
joyful  news,  and  they  came  tumbling  down,  in 
credulous,  to  feel  and  see  for  themselves. 

Again  the  wonderful  little  craft  had  stood  the 
test,  the  most  severe  in  her  varied  experience. 
The  sturdy  timbers,  so  carefully  steamed,  bent, 
and  joined  together,  squeezed  all  out  of  their 
rightful  shape,  sprang  back  to  their  designed 
lines  as  soon  as  released  from  the  awful  pres 
sure. 

When  the  commander  of  the  fleet  came  back 
and  offered  to  make  good  any  damage  !his  boat 
had  caused,  the  boys  were  too  full  of  joy  and 
gratitude  to  exact  any  damages. 

Beyond  the  started  joints  in  the  hardwood  fin 
ish  of  the  cabin,  the  yacht  was  unhurt,  and  they 
could  not  conscientiously  ask  for  money  even  if 
they  wished. 

The  fleet  captain  went  off,  and,  as  t'he  barge 
slipped  off  into  the  night,  the  voice  of  the  man 
on  deck  came  back  to  the  boys :  "  Ye  blamed 
fools,  why  didn't  ye  punch  a  hole  in  her  and  go 
home  like  gentlemen  on  the  money  you'd  get?  " 

Ruin  'his  boat!  Kenneth  would  almost  as  will 
ingly  cut  off  his  right  hand.  His  fingers  itched 
819 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

to  clutch  and  shake  the  man  who  made  such  a 
degrading  proposition. 

Once  more  the  crew  and  their  faithful  boat 
had  escaped  destruction  as  if  by  a  miracle.  Once 
more  the  hand  of  Providence  had  appeared 
strong  in  their  behalf,  and  they  were  grateful — 
too  much  affected  to  speak  of  it,  except  in  a  sub 
dued  undertone. 

Soon  after  this  "  Step  Lively  "  made  her  ban 
ner  run  of  thirty-one  miles  in  one  day.  Arrived 
at  the  busy  little  city  of  Lockport,  the  "  Gazelle  " 
began  the  steep  ascent  of  the  series  of  step- 
like  locks  to  the  top  of  a  large  hill  and  the  upper 
level.  Five  double  locks  opened  one  into  the 
other;  one  series  for  descent  the  other  for  ascent 
of  the  hill.  Each  lock  raised  or  lowered  the  ves 
sel  in  it  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  It  was  a  splendid 
piece  of  engineering  that  the  boys,  after  their 
many  miles  of  canal  journeying,  could  fully  ap 
preciate. 

"  Say,  this  is  easy,"  said  Arthur.  "  Just  like 
going  upstairs." 

"  Yes;  only  it's  no  work,"  suggested  Frank. 

"  It's  like  some  of  the  sudden  trips  I  have 
made  upstairs  when  my  father  had  a  grip  on  the 
seat  of  my  trousers;  that  was  easy,  till  after 
wards,"  and  Kenneth  rubbed  himself  reflectively. 

Beyond  the  "  lock  step  " — as  Frank  face- 
320 


IN   THE    GRIP    OF   IRON   AND    STONE 

tiously  called  the  series  of  water  lifts — the  canal 
was  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock;  the  walls  of  stone 
rising  sharply  on  either  side  of  the  water,  the 
tow-path  was  a  mere  ledge  cut  between  the  ditch 
and  the  embankment.  It  was  a  gloomy  sort  of 
place,  especially  since  the  rain  had  fallen  re 
cently,  the  rocks  were  black  with  dripping  water, 
and  the  tow-path  slippery  with  mud.  The  road 
where  "  Step  Lively  "  toiled  along  was  narrow 
and  several  feet  above  the  surface  of  t'he  water, 
a  strong  wind  was  blowing  down  the  gorge-like 
cut,  and  made  it  hard  for  the  old  mare  to  pull  the 
yacht.  Frank  was  driving,  and  urged  the  beast 
along  with  voice  and  slap  of  rein.  All  went  well 
until  the  horse  stumbled  over  a  stone,  slipped, 
and,  in  her  struggle  to  recover  her  feet,  slipped 
still  more,  and  finally  she  slid  over  the  edge  and 
plunged  into  the  canal  with  a  mighty  splash. 

Frank  stood  on  t'he  bank  and  hopped  about 
like  a  hen  whose  chicks  have  proved  to  be  ducks 
and  have  just  discovered  their  native  element; 
he  still  held  on  to  the  reins,  and  when  the  old 
horse  splashed  towards  the  bank  pulled  with  all 
his  might.  The  sides  of  the  canal  were  as  steep 
as  a  wall,  and  the  poor  beast  could  not  get  the 
slightest  foothold.  She  gazed  at  Frank  with  an 
appealing  eye  and  struggled  valiantly  to  reach 
dry  ground,  only  to  fall  back  till  all  but  her 
21  321 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

snorting  nose  was  submerged.  "  Don't  push, 
just  shove!  "  cried  an  unsympathetic  looker  on. 

"  Why  don't  you  put  boats  on  his  feet?  "  sug 
gested  another. 

Frank  was  at  his  wit's  end.  He  tried  in  every 
way  to  extricate  the  poor  beast  from  its  predica 
ment,  but  since  she  could  not  fly  it  could  not  be 
done. 

The  "  Gazelle,"  carried  on  by  the  impetus  she 
still  retained,  came  alongside  of  the  struggling 
amphibious  steed,  and  Frank  threw  the  reins 
aboard. 

"Well,  this  beats  the  Dutch!  "  Kenneth  ex 
claimed,  as  the  three  boys  looked  helplessly  down 
on  the  poor  beast  swimming  gamely  in  her  un 
natural  element — a  pathetic  but  ludicrous  sight. 

"  What  the  deuce  shall  we  do?  "  Frank  did 
not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  cry,  and  his  face 
was  curiously  twisted  in  consequence. 

"  Well,"  said  the  skipper  at  last,  "  I  guess  the 
tower  will  have  to  be  towed  till  we  find  a  shelving 
bank  and  the  order  can  be  reversed  again." 

All  hands  seemed  to  appreciate  the  humor  of 
the  situation  except  "  Step  Lively,"  and  she  back 
pedalled  with  all  her  might.  Kenneth  and  Ar 
thur  took  the  place  of  the  tow-horse  on  the  path, 
and  found  it  hard  work  to  pull  the  heavy  boat 
through  the  water  and  a  refractory  horse  that  in- 
322 


IN    THE    GRIP    OF   IRON   AND    STONE 

sisted  on  swimming  backward  as  hard  as  she 
could.  As  they  strained  and  tugged,  puffed  and 
sweated  they  lost  the  funny  side,  and  agreed  that 
it  was  "  blamed  serious."  At  this  juncture  "  Step 
Lively  "  woke  up  to  the  situation,  and  swam  with 
instead  of  against  her  masters,  and  then  all  was 
lovely. 

The  people  the  strange  procession  met  were 
very  much  amused,  and  they  did  not  hesitate  to 
make  comments. 

"  Turn  about's  fair  play,  ain't  it?  "  said  one. 

"  About  time  the  boat  towed  a  while ;  put  her 
on  the  path,"  said  another. 

At  length  a  sloping  place  was  reached,  and  the 
old  horse  scrambled  out.  It  was  hard  to  tell 
which  was  more  relieved — at  any  rate,  "  Step 
Lively  "  took  up  her  regular  occupation  with 
alacrity,  and  the  boys  went  back  on  board  with 
a  sigh  of  relief.  For  fear  the  faithful  old  beast 
would  catch  cold,  she  was  kept  going,  and  so 
escaped  harm. 

At  Tonawanda,  on  the  Niagara  Eiver,  Ken 
neth  sold  the  horse  to  a  man  who  contracted  to 
tow  them  to  Buffalo  and  Lake  Erie.  And  so 
they  parted  with  "  Step  Lively  "  for  three  dol 
lars.  She  had  entirely  lost  her  hat-rack  appear 
ance,  and  seemed  almost  as  sorry  to  leave  her 
young  friends  as  they  were  to  dismiss  her. 
323 


A    YEAR   /2V   A    YAWL 

From  Tonawanda  the  canal  followed  along  the 
Niagara  River.  The  beautiful,  broad  stream, 
smooth  and  placid,  looked  little  like  the  torrent 
a  little  farther  below  that  rushed  madly  down  the 
steep  incline,  and  then  made  that  stupendous 
leap. 

"Is  this  the  Niagara  River?  "  one  boy  asked 
another.  Its  calmness  was  disappointing. 

At  Buffalo  the  "  Gazelle  "  entered  her  native 
waters  once  more — on  lake  water,  but  still  a 
thousand  miles  from  home. 

Twelve  days  from  Troy  to  Buffalo,  three  hun 
dred  and  fifty-two  miles — not  a  bad  record  con 
sidering  the  one-horse  motor. 

The  boys  cast  anchor  within  the  shelter  of 
Buffalo's  breakwater  October  10,  1899,  and 
looked  over  the  strange,  green  waters  of  Lake 
Erie.  They  immediately  went  to  work,  stepped 
the  masts  and  set  up  the  rigging  for  the  last  stage 
of  their  long  journey.  A  thousand  miles  of 
lakes  stretched  between  them  and  old  St.  Joseph, 
yet  the  young  voyagers  felt  that  they  were  almost 
home.  They  forgot  for  a  time  that  the  great 
inland  seas  were  sure  to  be  swept  by  gales  that 
would  increase  in  force  and  frequency  as  the  sea 
son  advanced,  until  the  freezing  blast  closed  up 
navigation  altogether,  and  the  waters,  now 
tracked  in  all  directions  by  vessels  of  every  de- 
324 


IN    THE    GRIP    OF   IKON   AND    IS  TONE 

scription,  would  be  deserted — left  to  the  howl 
ing  winds,  the  grinding  cakes  of  ice,  and  the 
screaming  gulls. 

It  was  a  serious  situation  that  stared  them  in 
the  face,  did  they  but  realize  it.  The  sharp 
gales  on  the  lakes  were  to  be  dreaded  even  more 
than  the  tempest  on  the  ocean,  for  land,  never 
very  far  off,  surrounded  on  every  hand,  and  a  lee 
shore  was  an  imminent  peril. 

A  mere  zephyr  toyed  with  the  flag  at  the  "  Ga 
zelle's  "  masthead  as  she  lay  at  anchor — too  soft 
to  waft  the  yacht  a  mile  an  hour — so  it  was  not 
strange  that  Kenneth  and  his  crew  forgot  for  a 
time  that  the  lake,  now  so  calmly  sleeping,  would 
soon  rise  in  its  anger  and  lash  itself  into  white 
foam. 

The  lack  of  wind  gave  the  crew  an  opportunity 
to  visit  Niagara  Falls,  and  they  took  time  to  drink 
in  a  full  measure  of  this  most  magnificent  of  Na 
ture's  wonders,  a  sight  that  they  will  remember 
all  their  days — the  crowning  spectacle  of  their 
trip. 

After  a  three  days'  stay  at  Buffalo,  the  breeze 
sprang  up,  the  boys  raised  the  anchor,  and  the 
"  Gazelle,"  her  sails  spread  to  the  freshening 
wind,  sped  out  of  harbor  and  away  on  the  last  lap 
of  her  race  round  the  Eastern  half  of  the  United 
States. 

325 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 


"Hurrah!7'  the  boys  shouted,  and,  clasping 
hands,  congratulated  each  other. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  acted  as  if  she  felt  that  her 
native  waters  bore  her  once  more,  and  skimmed 
along  as  lightly  as  the  gulls  that  circled  in  the 
clear,  cool  air.  Straight  across  the  lake  she  flew, 
sped  by  an  ever-increasing  wind,  until  the  point 
off  the  Welland  Canal,  on  the  Canadian  side,  was 
reached.  With  a  snap  characteristic  of  her,  she 
came  about  and  started  off  on  another  tack,  then 
stopped  suddenly  with  a  jar  that  knocked  the 
boys  to  their  knees.  Hard  on  the  rocks !  There 
was  not  a  minute  to  spare  if  the  good  yacht  was  to 
be  saved.  With  a  spring,  Kenneth  let  go  the 
mainsail  halliards,  and  the  slatting  sail  came 
down  on  the  run,  while  Arthur  lowered  the  jib. 
It  was  quick  work,  but  these  young  men  had  had 
the  training  that  made  them  decide  rapidly  and 
act  effectively. 

The  sails  down,  the  yacht  rested  more  easily, 
but  still  she  pounded,  the  waves  dashing  her 
heavily  on  the  cruel  ledges. 

Kenneth  jumped  overboard,  clothes  and  all, 
followed  by  Frank  and  Arthur.  Putting  their 
shoulders  to  the  yawl's  stem,  they  pushed  with 
might  and  main.  At  length  the  heavy  boat 
moved,  and,  as  in  ]STew  York  Harbor,  they 
pushed,  walking  after  till  the  yacht  floated  clear 
326 


SWAYING    ON    TUP]    HALLIARDS. 

"THE  SAILS  WERE  HOISTED." — (Page  327.) 


IN    THE    GRIP    OF   IRON   AND    UTONE 

and  they  had  to  hold  on  to  keep  from  sink 
ing.  Through  the  clear  water  the  rocks  lurked 
just  under  the  surface  in  every  direction,  and 
only  by  the  most  careful  manoeuvring  could  the 
yacht  be  sailed  to  safety.  The  sails  were  hoisted 
once  more,  Kenneth  took  the  helm,  and,  after 
a  time,  Frank  and  Arthur  went  below  to  put  on 
some  dry  clothes.  The  October  wind  blew  keen 
and  sharp,  the  skipper,  crouching  in  the  stern  to 
present  as  little  surface  to  it  as  possible,  thought 
he  would  freeze  to  death — his  wet  clothes  stuck 
to  him  and  the  cold  wind  seemed  to  go  directly 
to  his  vitals. 

"  H-h-h-hurry  up!  "  he  shouted  to  the  boys  be 
low  through  his  chattering  teeth.  "  I-i-i-i'll 
sh-sh-shake  the  boat  to  p-p-p-pieces  if  you  don't 
g-g-g-get  a  m-m-m-move  on." 

By  this  time  the  "  Gazelle  "  was  clear  of  all 
danger,  and  was  coasting  over  the  rollers  at  splen 
did  speed. 

As  the  day  wore  on  the  wind  increased  in  force, 
and  the  lake,  true  to  its  reputation,  was  lashed 
into  waves  both  high  and  short.  It  was  the  kind 
of  sea  that  makes  a  small  boat  like  the  yawl  pitch 
and  toss  most  uncomfortably;  but,  in  spite  of  it 
all,  she  made  good  speed.  With  a  clear  course 
ahead,  though  the  weather  was  threatening, 
Kenneth  kept  on  for  Port  Stanley,  on  the 
327 


A    TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

Canadian  shore.  About  two-thirty  in  the 
morning  the  skipper  calculated  that  the  light 
marking  the  harbor  they  sought  should  be 
visible,  but  not  a  sign  of  it  could  Arthur,  011 
look-out  duty,  see.  The  skipper,  in  spite  of 
the  tossing  sea,  shinned  the  mast,  and  from 
its  elevation  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  gleaming 
light. 

Coming  down  on  deck,  he  shouted  to  Frank  at 
the  wheel:  "  We're  over-canvassed;  we'll  have  to 
reef  down." 

The  wind  made  it  hard  for  him  to  be  heard. 

"  Reef  in  this  sea?  You're  crazy,  you  can't 
doit!" 

"  We've  got  to  do  it,"  the  captain  answered. 
"  Art,  give  us  a  hand  on  the  mainsail." 

The  mate  obeyed,  and  together  they  crawled 
forward.  Dark  as  pitch,  they  had  to  work  by 
sense  of  touch  alone.  Each  knew  the  position  of 
every  line,  every  rope,  as  he  knew  the  location  of 
his  eyes  and  his  mouth,  but  the  choppy  sea  made 
it  impossible  to  stand  an  instant  unaided.  Ar 
thur  gripped  the  standing  rigging  with  his  legs 
as  he  lowered  the  mainsail,  and  Kenneth  clung 
desperately  to  the  boom  as  he  began  to  tie  the 
reef  points. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  jumped  and  thrashed  about 
like  a  bucking  horse,  and  the  darkness  enveloped 

QOQ 

OvO 


IN    THE    GRIP    OF   IRON   AND    STONE 

everything.  Of  a  sudden,  the  boat  gave  an  aw 
ful  lurch,  and  Kenneth  heard  a  sudden  thump 
against  the  yacht's  side  and  all  was  still.  In 
stantly  he  missed  Arthur — nowhere  could  he  be 
seen. 

"For  heaven's  sake,  luff — luff!  "  he  cried  to 
Frank.  "  Art's  overboard." 

The  boat  shot  up  into  the  wind  and  lay 
there  quivering,  while  Kenneth,  dread  lying- 
like  a  weight  on  his  heart,  sought  for  his 
friend. 

"  What's  the  trouble?  "  a  voice  called  from  the 
other  side  of  the  boat.  "  Anybody  hurt?  " 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  where  are  you,  Art?  " 

"Over  here.     What's  the  trouble?" 

"My,  but  I'm  glad  you're  O.  K!  Thought 
you  were  overboard,  sure." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  it  was  that  wooden  fender  you 
heard;  it  went  over  in  that  last  jump." 

The  "  G'azelle  "  went  better  under  her  reduced 
canvas,  and  reeled  off  the  miles  like  the  steady 
sea-boat  she  was. 

"  Well,  we  did  not  see  much  worse  sea  on  the 
ocean,  did  we,  boys?  "  Kenneth  had  a  sort  of 
pride  in  his  native  waters,  and  took  satisfaction 
even  in  its  rough  moods. 

They  were  certainly  formidable.  Short,  high, 
and  following  one  another  in  quick  succession, 
329 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

the  waves  tossed  the  yacht  about  as  a  man  is 
thrown  in  a  blanket. 

Daylight  soon  came  to  cheer  the  young  mari 
ners,  and  revealed  the  Canadian  shore  but  a  few 
miles  to  starboard.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon  the  "  Gazelle  "  sailed  into  Port  Stanley. 
Once  safely  inside,  the  wind  rose  shrieking,  as  if 
enraged  because  the  yacht  had  escaped.  For 
three  days  they  lay  at  anchor,  stormbound — three 
days  that  would  have  been  much  enjoyed  if  Ken 
neth  had  not  been  so  anxious  to  go  on.  Food 
was  plenty  and  the  people  kind,  but  the  thought 
of  the  terrible  winter,  whose  breath,  even  now, 
could  be  occasionally  felt,  urged  them  on  and 
took  the  edge  off  their  enjoyment  in  the  hospi 
table  place. 

To  Rondeau  Harbor  was  a  sixty-mile  run,  and 
when  the  "  Gazelle  "  pushed  her  bowsprit  past 
the  protecting  point  of  Port  Stanley,  it  looked 
as  if  there  would  not  be  wind  enough  to  carry 
her  the  distance  by  nightfall.  But  a  fair  breeze 
soon  sprang  up,  and  they  sped  along  at  a  good 
pace.  The  lake  seemed  to  be  on  its  good  be 
havior — ashamed  of  the  temper  it  had  shown  for 
the  last  three  days,  perhaps.  It  took  little  at 
that  time  of  year  to  rouse  Old  Erie  to  a  howling 
rage.  At  five-ten  in  the  afternoon  the  boys  saw 
that  the  pleasant  mood  that  had  lasted  all  day 
330 


LOOKING    FOR   PORT    STANLEY. — (Page  330.) 


IN    THE    GRIP    OF   IRON   AND    8 TONE 

was  giving  way  to  a  very  ugly  temper,  and  there 
were  six  miles  more  to  cover  before  shelter  could 
be  reached. 

"  Look  at  those  clouds  over  there/'  said  Frank. 
"  We're  going  to  have  a  head  wind  and  all  sorts 
of  troubles." 

"  Sure  thing!  "  echoed  Arthur. 

"  Oh,  come  off!  I'll  bet  you  four  to  one  we'll 
be  inside  by  six  o'clock." 

Kenneth  saw,  too,  that  there  was  to  be  a  high 
wind  in  the  wrong  direction. 

"Done!  "  cried  Frank  and  Arthur  together. 
"  You're  a  chump,  Ken.  All  those  miles  with  a 
headwind?  I  guess  nit." 

"  You  just  watch  your  Uncle  Dudley."  The 
skipper  meant  to  do  his  level  best  to  win  his  reck 
less  wager. 

The  goal  was  in  plain  sight,  and  Kenneth  took 
his  place  at  the  helm,  determined  to  be  on  a  line 
at  least  with  those  piers  by  six  o'clock.  The 
wind  was  rising  steadily  and  swinging  more  and 
more  ahead.  The  yacht,  seeming  to  realize  what 
was  expected  of  her,  settled  down  to  her  work 
and  slipped  off  into  the  eye  of  the  breeze  like  a 
witch.  Each  minute  the  wind  hauled  more  and 
more  ahead,  until  the  boat,  her  sheets  already 
closely  trimmed,  seemed  to  sail  right  square  into 
the  teeth  of  it.  The  gray  bulkhead  was  yet  a 
331 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

long  way  off,  and  the  minutes  were  slipping  by 
at  an  alarming  rate.  Arthur  grinned  as  he  called 
out,  "  Five-thirty." 

It  was  a  race  against  time  with  a  vengeance. 
More  than  the  settling  of  a  friendly  wager  was 
involved.  The  clouds  to  the  southwest  had  an 
ugly  look,  and  the  line  of  dull  gray  showed 
against  the  bright  blue  straight  as  if  drawn  by  a 
ruler. 

Nearer  and  nearer  they  came  to  "  the  haven 
where  they  would  be/'  but  faster  and  faster  flew 
the  minutes. 

"  Five-forty-five !  "  Arthur  called,  clock  in 
hand. 

"Can  she  do  it?"  Kenneth  asked  himself. 
Only  fifteen  minutes  more,  and  the  black  edge 
of  the  squall  so  close. 

Then  the  wind  died  down. 

"  I  told  you  so !  "  said  Frank,  exultingly. 

Kenneth  knew  that  it  was  but  the  calm  before 
the  storm.  "You  just  wait,"  he  said;  "you 
haven't  got  this  cinched  yet." 

"Five-fifty!"  droned  Arthur.  "Ten  min 
utes  more." 

Kenneth  said  nothing,  but  kept  a  sharp 
weather  eye  open  for  squalls. 

"  Five-fifty-seven!  "  called  the  timekeeper. 

Off  to  port  the  skipper  saw  the  water  scuffed 
332 


IN    THE    GRIP    OF   IRON   AND    8 TONE 

up,  as  if  a  thousand  silvery  fishes  suddenly  sprang 
up. 

"  Here  she  comes/7  Kenneth  said  to  himself, 
"  and  she's  a  hummer!  " 

All  at  once  the  blast  struck  them. 

Whoo! 

The  "  Gazelle  "  laid  over  before  it  till  her  lee 
freeboard,  high  as  it  was,  was  buried  under,  and 
the  water  lapped  alongside  the  deckhouse.  The 
boat  fairly  flew  along,  great  sheets  of  spray  shoot 
ing  out  from  her  bow,  the  sails  standing  stiff  as 
if  moulded  out  of  metal.  "  His  Nibs/'  towed 
behind,  was  almost  lost  in  the  smother  of  spray, 
and  her  painter  stretched  out  to  the  larger  boat 
straight  and  stiff  as  a  steel  rod,  without  a  sag  in  it. 

My,  she  was  going! 

The  "  Gazelle  "  was  over-canvassed  for  such  a 
blow,  but  she  could  not  stop  then. 

Kenneth  sat  at  the  tiller  like  a  jockey  on  a 
racing  horse — his  gaze  fixed,  his  face  pale,  his 
muscles  tense.  Ready  to  luff  and  save  his  boat, 
if  need  be,  but  determined  to  drive  her  to  the 
finish  if  steady  canvas  and  honest  manila  could 
stand  the  strain. 

"  You  can't  do  it,  Ken!  "  Frank  cried. 

"  But  I  will,"  he  answered  grimly.  "  Arthur, 
keep  your  eye  on  that  clock." 


CHAPTER   XIX 

A  STOKMY  NIGHT  ON  A  SINKING  PILE-DEIVER 

Plunging,  then  darting  like  a  frightened  deer, 
the  "  Gazelle  "  raced  for  her  goal;  the  long  pier 
of  Rondeau  Harbor  was  just  off  her  starboard 
bow. 

Could  she  make  it  by  six  o'clock? 

Frank  and  Arthur  thought  no,  Kenneth  would 
not  admit,  even  to  himself,  that  he  was  beaten. 

Laying  way  over  before  the  blast,  she  rushed 
along.  The  water  churned  up  by  her  bows 
rushed  white  above  her  lee  rail,  the  weather  rig 
ging,  taut  with  the  strain  put  upon  it,  vibrated 
like  the  bass  strings  of  a  harp,  the  lee  rigging 
sagging  in  proportion. 

Kenneth  leaned  forward,  his  face  eager,  his 
hand  grasping  the  tiller  so  hard  that  the  knuckles 
showed  white  through  his  tanned  skin.  Frank 
and  Arthur  lay  far  out  to  windward— as  far  out 
as  they  could  get. 

"  Six  o'clock!  "  cried  Arthur,  looking  up  from 
334 


A   STORM?   NIGHT  ON  A   SINKING  PILE-DRIVER 

the  clock  he  held  in  his  hand.  "  And,  by  Jove, 
you've  won!  " 

Rounding  the  lighthouse  pier,  the  yacht 
slipped  in  behind  the  crib  and  rested  in  smooth 
water. 

"  Well,  old  man,  I  take  my  hat  off  to  you," 
and  Frank  suited  the  action  to  the  word.  "  That 
was  the  finest  bit  of  sailing  I  ever  saw.  Ken, 
you're  a  dandy." 

Kenneth  was  still  breathing  quickly  with  the 
excitement  and  exhilaration  of  the  race  with 
time.  His  satisfaction  in  the  performance  of  his 
boat  was  only  secondary  to  the  pleasure  he  felt 
in  his  friends'  praise. 

Again  luck  had  served  them  well.  For  the 
next  three  days  a  storm  raged  over  the  lake  that 
made  the  boys  very  thankful  that  they  were  shel 
tered  in  a  safe  harbor.  This  tempest  was  a  fore 
runner  of  what  was  to  come — a  foretaste  of  what 
the  young  mariners  were  likely  to  experience. 
The  sudden  storms  for  which  the  lake  region  was 
famous  at  this  time  of  year  had  begun,  and  would 
continue  until  navigation  was  closed  altogether 
by  the  formation  of  ice. 

A  railroad  had  been  doing  some  construction 
wo~k  near  Rondeau  Harbor,  and  had  been  mak 
ing  use  of  a  few  large  scows,  a  steam  barge,  and 
a  pile-driver  from  Detroit.  With  the  closing 
335 


A    YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

down  of  the  work,  several  of  the  working  crew 
had  deserted  and  left  the  captain  of  the  boats 
short  handed.  That  was  his  reason,  therefore, 
for  his  request  to  Ransom  for  help. 

"  Lend  me  one  of  your  men/'  said  he. 

"  Xo,"  answered  Kenneth.  "  But  if  my  ship 
mates  agree,  I'll  help  you  out,  if  you  give  us  a 
tow  to  Detroit." 

"  Sure;  that's  easy,"  the  other  responded 
heartily.  All  hands  agreed,  and  the  bargain  was. 
closed  there  and  then. 

The  wind  had  calmed  down  when  the  strange 
fleet  started  out  next  afternoon.  It  was  headed 
by  the  steam  barge,  then  came  the  top-heavy  pile- 
driver,  then  a  scow,  and,  finally,  the  "  Gazelle  " 
herself,  reluctantly  following  along,  as  if  averse 
to  being  in  such  direputable  company. 

The  three  boys  drew  lots  to  see  who  should 
stay  on  the  scow;  the  mate  was  the  unlucky  one, 
but,  in  spite  of  the  protests  of  the  other  two,  Ken 
neth  insisted  on  filling  the  post  himself.  To  his 
surprise,  he  found  that  he  had  been  assigned 
to  the  pile-driver  instead  of  the  scow,  and, 
though  he  realized  that  it  was  hardly  fair  deal 
ing  on  the  part  of  the  captain,  it  was  not  a  time 
to  go  back  on  his  agreement.  So  he  boarded 
the  pile-driver. 

"  If  she  leaks,"  the  captain  shouted  through  a 
336 


A   STORMY  NIGHT  ON  A   SINKING  PILE-DRIVER 

megaphone  to  Kenneth,  "  you  had  better  get  up 
steam  in  the  boiler  and  start  the  siphon  going." 

The  boy  nodded,  to  indicate  that  he  under 
stood,  and  made  his  way  aft  to  the  little  house, 
where  he  found  a  s,mall  boiler,  hoisting  engine 
and  the  necessary  siphon. 

"  Jove !  "  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  am  getting 
more  than  I  bargained  for." 

The  run  to  Detroit  was  about  a  hundred  miles. 
A  hundred  miles  in  an  old  tub  of  a  pile-driver  on 
Lake  Erie  in  the  stormy  season!  Kenneth's 
thoughts  were  not  very  cheerful,  but  he  set  to 
work  to  find  out  all  about  the  strange  craft  of 
which  he  was  captain,  crew,  engineer,  and  fire 
man. 

Comparatively  smooth  when  the  queer  proces 
sion  started,  after  sundown  the  wind  began  to 
rise,  and  the  sea  with  it. 

Kenneth,  from  his  post,  could  see  the  lights  on 
his  own  boat  swinging  as  she  rolled  on  the  waves. 
The  towering  structure  that  carried  the  weight  of 
the  pile-driver  made  the  craft  top-heavy,  and 
very  unwieldy  in  the  sea.  It  jumped  and  jarred, 
swung  from  side  to  side,  and  spanked  the  rollers 
with  its  blunt  bow.  From  time  to  time  Kenneth 
sounded  to  see  if  his  craft  was  leaking,  and  was 
comforted  to  find  that  all  was  dry. 

The  wind  increased  in  force,  and  the  water  rose 
22  337 


A   YEAR  IN  A    YAWL 

higher  each  minute  with  the  speed  characteristic 
of  the  Great  Lakes.  The  sky  was  overcast,  and 
the  darkness  shut  down  on  the  rolling  waters  like 
a  black  blanket.  The  steam  barge  ahead  snorted 
away,  heading  into  the  wind,  and  the  old  scow 
of  a  pile-driver  kept  its  distance  behind.  Ken 
neth  felt  very  lonely,  and  longed  to  be  aboard 
the  "  Gazelle,"  the  light  from  whose  cabin  he 
caught  fleeting  glimpses  of  as  she  swung  a  little 
to  one  side. 

For  perhaps  the  twentieth  time,  he  sounded 
the  pump,  and  found  this  time,  to  his  alarm,  two 
inches  of  water  in  the  shallow  hold.  He  waited 
a  few  minutes  and  tried  again — three  inches. 

"Phew,  this  won't  do!  "  he  said,  half  aloud. 
"  I'll  have  to  start  that  old  siphon  going." 

By  the  time  the  fire  was  fairly  going  there  was 
four  inches  in  the  hold,  and  when  steam  was  up 
and  the  pump  had  begun  to  throw  its  four-inch 
stream,  the  water  had  gained  two  inches  more. 

With  an  energy  born  of  desperation,  Kenneth 
piled  the  wood  into  the  furnace  and  kept  the 
head  of  steam  up.  The  old  pump  worked  well, 
and,  for  a  time,  held  the  water  even.  Kenneth 
stood  in  the  little  house  watching  the  steam- 
gauge,  while  the  pump  sucked,  wheezed,  sput 
tered,  and  the  thick  stream  gushed  overboard. 

Again  he  tested  the  depth  of  water  in  the  hold, 
338 


A  STORMY  NIGHT  ON  A  SINKING  PILE-DRIVER 

and  found,  to  his  horror,  that  it  was  gaining,  in 
spite  of  the  steady  working  of  the  pump.  More 
wood  went  into  the  roaring,  cavernous  furnace, 
and  the  needle  of  the  steam-gauge  pointed  higher 
and  higher;  the  pump  worked  furiously,  but  still 
the  water  gained. 

Kenneth  went  out  to  see  if  he  could  get  help 
if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst.  The  old  steam- 
barge  ahead  was  making  heavy  weather  of  it, 
and  every  man  on  board  was  intent  on  keeping 
her  going.  Just  astern,  the  scow  spatted  the 
waves  doggedly,  her  flat  bows  presenting  to  the 
boy  on  the  -pile-driver  a  front  black,  forbidding, 
and  hopeless.  Far  behind,  the  "  Gazelle"  bobbed 
serenely  over  the  choppy  waves. 

The  wind  was  blowing  hard,  and  the  waves 
raised  their  heads  in  anger  on  every  side,  deter 
mined,  it  seemed  to  the  boy  alone  on  the  leaking 
boat,  to  have  his  life.  He  looked  about  for  a 
small  boat  he  could  resort  to  in  case  of  dire  need; 
there  was  none,  not  even  a  raft;  but  he  caught 
sight  of  a  broad  new  board.  With  the  deftness 
of  long  experience,  he  knotted  a  rope  about  it  to 
which  he  could  cling,  and  hauled  it  aft  close  to 
the  cabin  door,  where  he  could  jump  for  it  in  case 
of  need. 

There  was  work  to  do  inside ;  moreover,  it  was 
warm  and  light,  if  lonely.  Sounding  again,  Ran- 
339 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

soni  found  eight  inches  of  water  in  the  hold.  It 
was  gaining  slowly,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  only 
a  question  of  time  before  the  scow's  buoyancy 
would  be  overcome  and  it  must  sink.  Above  the 
howling  of  the  wind,  the  crackling  and  snapping 
of  the  fire,  the  wheeze  and  deep-breathing  sound 
of  the  pump,  Kenneth  could  hear  the  swash  and 
gurgle  of  the  water  in  the  hold — a  sickening 
sound  that  weighed  on  his  heart  like  lead.  When 
the  boat  rose  on  a  wave,  the  water  below  rushed 
pell-mell  aft  and  came  with  a  thud  that  jarred 
the  whole  structure  against  the  stern;  then,  tilted 
the  other  way,  it  rushed  against  the  bow,  until 
the  boy  thought  that  the  ends  would  be  knocked 
out  of  her. 

"  "Well,  I  guess  my  name  is  Dennis  this  time !  " 
he  said  aloud.  "  This  old  tub  won't  stay  on  top 
long."  The  sound  of  his  own  voice  made  him 
more  lonely  than  ever,  as  there  was  no  response, 
no  answering  voice  to  cheer  and  comfort  him. 
Many  trying  experiences  and  frequent  dangers 
had  been  encountered,  but  seldom  had  he  faced 
peril  alone.  He  longed  for  the  companionship 
of  his  friends. 

Kenneth  sat  on  an  old  soap  box  and  listened 
to  the  dreary  sound  of  the  water  splashing  in 
the  hold,  and  to  the  wind-devils  shrieking  out 
side.  He  was  utterly  depressed  and  hopeless. 
340 


A   STORMY  NIGHT  ON  A   SINKING  PILE-DRIVER 

As  he  sat  with  his  head  in  his  hands,  his  elbows 
on  his  knees,  he  thought  that  he  heard  the  sound 
of  human  speech  among  the  voices  of  the  storm. 
He  sat  erect,  and  listened  with  all  his  might. 

"Ahoy,  aboard  the  pile-driver!"  the  voice 
died  away  in  the  wind;  but  again  it  made  itself 
heard  above  the  din :  "  Ahoy,  there,  Cap !  " 

Kenneth  rushed  out  and  forward. 

A  man  was  standing  on  the  after-part  of  the 
barge,  megaphone  to  his  mouth,  bawling  that 
they  were  going  to  get  under  the  lee  of  Peelee 
Island  and  lay  up  for  the  night. 

With  renewed  courage,  Kenneth  went  back  to 
his  stoking,  and  kept  the  old  pump  going  until 
the  water-logged  rolling  of  the  crazy  craft  be 
came  less  violent  and,  finally,  ceased  altogether. 

'e  Thank  heaven,  we  are  in  some  kind  of  a  har 
bor!  "  said  Ransom  to  the  man  who  came  to  re 
lieve  him.  He  was  thankful  to  his  heart's  core. 
Coming  on  deck,  he  found  that  they  were  along 
side  a  long  pier.  He  scrambled  ashore  and  hur 
ried  aboard  the  "  Gazelle,"  weary,  but  supremely 
happy  to  be  alive  and  on  his  own  craft  again. 

The  skipper  could  hardly  keep  awake  long 
enough  to  tell  the  boys  his  adventures,  and  he 
had  travelled  far  into  the  "  Land  of  Nod  "  before 
the  other  two  turned  in. 

When  the  three  arose  the  day  was  far  ad- 
341 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

vanced.  The  leak  in  the  pile-driver  had  been 
found  and  plugged,  the  wind  had  died  down,  and 
the  sea  flattened  out  to  the  long,  slow  swell  that 
bore  no  resemblance  to  the  tempestuous  waves  of 
the  previous  night.  Under  smiling  skies,  on 
smooth  water,  the  voyage  to  Detroit  was  a  delight. 
Many  stately  steamers  passed  them,  bound  to  and 
from  Lake  ports. 

In  the  early  evening,  the  electric  lights  of  De 
troit  appeared,  perched  on  tall,  slender  poles; 
they  looked  in  the  darkness  like  clusters  of  stars 
hung  in  the  sky. 

"  Michigan,  My  Michigan !  "  The  boys  sang 
in  their  hearts,  if  their  lips  did  not  form  the 
words.  Once  more  they  were  in  their  native 
State,  and  straight  across  to  the  West  lay  old  St. 
Joe — so  near  by  land,  so  far  by  water. 

The  anchor  down,  all  three  boys  got  into  "  His 
Nibs/'  eager  to  set  foot  on  dear  old  Michigan 
soil  again.  The  little  boat  staggered  bravely 
to  shore  with  her  precious  freight.  Kenneth 
stayed,  and  went  back  to  the  yacht  after  he  had 
put  his  foot  down  good  and  hard  on  Michigan 
land.  The  other  two  boys  went  on  for  mail  and 
supplies. 

Eager  to  reach  home,  they  stayed  but  a  day 
and  a  half  at  Detroit. 

Under  her  own  canvas,  the  "  Gazelle  "  sailed 
842 


A   STORMY  NIGHT  ON  A  SINKING  PILE-DRIVER 

up  the  Detroit  River  to  Lake  St.  Clair,  then 
across  that  fine  sheet  of  water  to  the  St.  Clair 
River,  the  connecting  link  between  Lakes  Huron 
and  Erie. 

Frequent  rain  squalls  had  made  sailing  diffi 
cult  and  disagreeable,  but  the  yacht  made  good 
way,  and,  in  spite  of  the  uncomfortable  weather, 
the  boys  were  in  a  very  cheerful  frame  of  mind. 
In  Michigan  waters,  off  the  Michigan  coast,  they 
felt  that  they  were  indeed  on  the  home-stretch. 

As  the  yacht  was  almost  entering  the  river,  the 
mate  pointed  off  excitedly  towards  the  flats. 
"  What's  that?  "  he  cried.  "  Look,  Ken,  quick!  " 

A  very  black  pillar,  like  thick  smoke,  writhed 
between  sea  and  sky;  the  surface  of  the  lake  rose 
in  a  cone,  rose  to  meet  it,  and  the  sky  narrowed 
down  like  a  funnel.  All  the  time  it  was  twisting 
furiously,  and  the  water  about  it  was  much  agi 
tated.  It  moved  steadily  across  the  lake  in  a 
direction  that  seemed  to  lead  to  the  "  Gazelle." 

"  Great  king  !  "  exclaimed  the  skipper. 
"  That's  a  waterspout,  sure.  We  are  done  for 
if  it  strikes  us,  just  as  sure  as  shooting!  " 

The  comrades  watched  the  watery  column 
anxiously.  They  were  greatly  relieved,  at  length, 
to  see  it  swerve  to  one  side,  sweep  across  the  lake 
and  apparently  go  to  pieces  on  the  further  shore. 

"  Well,  we  can  say,  if  any  one  asks  us  if  we 
343 


A   YEAR  IN  A   JAWL 

saw  a  waterspout,  '  Yes,  we  did.  Would  any  one 
else  like  to  ask  any  questions? '  The  mate  put 
on  an  air  that  imitated  the  cheap  lyceum  lec 
turer  to  the  life. 

Just  before  making  Port  Huron,  where  the 
St.  Clair  River  enters  Lake  Huron,  the  boys 
encountered  the  ugly  rapids  that  make  the 
navigation  of  this  strait  so  difficult.  It  was  a 
mile  long,  and  a  very  trying  run  for  a  sailing 
vessel,  even  under  the  most  favorable  circum 
stances.  A  large  steamer  had  sunk  in  the 
channel  a  few  weeks  before,  and  nearly  blocked 
it.  The  wind,  strong,  as  usual,  was  blowing 
dead  ahead.  It  was  a  beat  to  windward  with 
scarcely  room  to  come  about;  one  tack  was 
hardly  taken  before  another  one  had  to  be 
made.  By  the  time  that  the  end  of  the  obstruct 
ing  vessel  was  reached,  "  the  crew's  "  hands,  so 
he  declared,were  worn  through  to  the  bone,  from 
the  frequent  and  rapid  handling  of  the  jib  sheet. 

"  Great  Scott!  "  cried  the  mate  from  his  look 
out  forward.  "  We  are  running  down  a 
steamer!  " 

Sure  enough,  a  great  grain  boat  was  coming  in 
the  opposite  direction,  and  would  soon  be  upon 
them. 

"  It's  all  right,"  called  out  Hansom,  reassur 
ingly;  "  we're  clear  of  the  wreck  now." 
344 


A   STORMY  XIOHT   OX  A   SIXKIXG  PILE-DRIVER 

The  words  had  hardly  been  spoken  before  the 
wind  died  out,  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  sails 
flapped  about  limp  and  helpless.  The  great  boat 
had  blanketed  the  "  Gazelle  "  as  completely  as  if 
a  wall  had  been  built  in  front  of  her.  The  cur 
rent  was  setting  back  toward  the  abandoned  steel 
steamship,  and  the  yacht  drifted  with  alarming 
speed  toward  the  obstruction. 

"  I'll  gybe  her,"  Kenneth  said  to  himself, 
a  and  retrace  our  steps  till  we  get  to  the  open. 
Then  wre'll  wait  till  there  are  no  other  boats  mov 
ing."  Aloud,  he  shouted:  "Look  out,  boys!  I 
am  going  to  gybe." 

Just  as  he  spoke,  a  blast  of  wind  slipped  by 
the  grain  boat,  caught  the  yacht,  and  slammed 
the  boom  over  with  terrific  force.  Kenneth  ex 
pected  to  see  the  masts  go  out  of  her;  but  every 
thing  held,  and  she  raced  along  the  side  of  the 
sunken  ironclad,  luffed  up  under  her  stern,  and 
lay  quivering,  but  safe. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  sailed  up  the  narrow  passage 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  wreck,  while  the 
steamer  passed  to  port.  The  yacht  ran  the 
rapids  successfully,  and  was  soon  speeding  along 
over  Lake  Huron  with  an  offshore  beam  wind. 
The  sixty  miles  to  the  Government  harbor  of 
refuge  at  Harbor  Beach,  was  covered  at  night 
fall. 

345 


A   TEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

The  next  night  brought  them  to  the  entrance 
of  Saginaw  Bay.  So  far  the  winds  had  been 
favorable  and  the  water  smooth,  and  the  boys 
made  daily  steps  sixty  miles  long  in  their  journey 
towards  home. 

They  longed  for  home  with  a  desire  that 
amounted  to  an  ache.  Neither  would  admit  to 
the  other  how  much  he  felt;  but  it  was  hard 
sometimes  to  keep  the  tears  back  as  something 
occurred  to  bring  up  visions  of  the  little  city  on 
the  bluff. 

Saginaw  Bay  had  a  bad  reputation.  Storms 
were  apt  to  bluster  about  its  wide  mouth,  and 
strong  winds  were  continually  blowing  across  it. 

Though  the  low  barometer  indicated  that  bad 
weather  was  coming,  Kenneth  decided  that  he 
could  not  wait,  and  he  pushed  on  across  the 
treacherous  bay.  At  night,  and  in  a  place  noted 
for  its  stormy  weather,  with  bad  weather  threat 
ening,  it  may  have  been  foolhardy  to  attempt  the 
run;  but  the  spirit  that  lay  behind  the  "Ga 
zelle's  "  motto — "  Keeping  everlastingly  at  it 
brings  success  " — made  the  retracing  of  their 
steps  to  a  safe  harbor  a  thing  dead  against  the 
boys7  principles. 

For  once,  the  reputation  of  the  locality  seemed 
to  be  false;  even  the  glass  appeared  to  be  at 
fault,  for  the  wind  scarcely  amounted  to  a  sum- 
346 


A   STORMY  NIGHT   ON  A   SINKING  PILE-DRIVER 

mer    zephyr,    and   the    waves    were    long    and 
smooth. 

The  other  boys  were  yawning,  and  at  ten- 
thirty  Kenneth  sent  them  below,  promising  to 
call  them  if  need  be.  The  skipper  sat  with  the 
tiller  over  his  knees,  thinking.  There  was  but 
little  to  do — a  glance  at  the  sails  to  see  if  all  was 
drawing  well,  and  an  occasional  look  out  for 
other  craft  was  all  the  attention  the  business  in 
hand  required.  For  almost  twelve  long  months 
he  and  his  friends  had  lived  aboard  the  little 
craft  they  had  learned  to  think  of  as  a  second 
home — through  strange  waters,  along  unfamil 
iar  shores,  experiencing  all  conditions  of  cli 
mate,  and  seeing  all  sorts  of  people.  Dangers 
innumerable  had  been  encountered  and  passed 
safely,  and  now  Kenneth  said  to  himself:  "We 
are  almost  home."  The  trip  was  well  worth 
while,  he  thought;  he  had  gleaned  information 
that  he  believed  he  could  not  have  secured  any 
other  way,  and  his  sketch  book  was  full  of  plans 
of  all  sorts  of  craft  he  had  inspected. 

In  almost  perfect  silence,  surrounded  by  dark 
ness,  he  sat  thinking  and  dreaming.  A  vision 
bright  as  a  picture  appeared  in  his  mind's  eye, 
and  in  it  he  saw  his  future  career.  A  builder  of 
swift  steamers  and  sturdy  cargo  boats,  of  sailing 
craft  of  every  rig,  and  all  was  good. 
347 


A    YEAR   IN   A    YAWL 

He  was  so  wrapped  up  in  his  thoughts  that  for 
a  time  he  did  not  notice  the  ominous  silence,  the 
fitful,  light  puffs  of  wind  that  lapsed  between  the 
calms,  the  sticky  feeling  in  the  air,  the  many 
signs  which  bespeak  a  brewing  storm.  ~Not  till 
the  mainsail  flapped  in  answer  to  a  change  in 
direction  of  the  fitful  wind  did  the  skipper  realize 
that  trouble  was  coming.  In  an  instant,  the  long 
vistas  of  his  pleasant  dreams  disappeared,  and  he 
became  the  sailor  of  a  small  boat  off  a  dangerous 
coast,  with  a  storm  threatening. 

A  puff  of  wind,  that  made  the  "  Gazelle  " 
quiver,  came  out  of  the  north,  and  Kenneth, 
one  hand  on  the  mainsheet,  the  other  on  the  til 
ler,  prepared  for  the  tussle. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  squall  broke  in  earnest, 
and  the  yacht  staggered  under  it  like  a  man  bear 
ing  a  heavy  weight.  She  was  carrying  too  much 
canvas,  so  the  captain  called  the  boys.  The 
weather  was  calm  and  serene  when  they  went 
below,  and  they  were  mightily  surprised  to  find 
the  boat  pitching  and  rolling,  and  the  wind  tear 
ing  at  the  rigging  as  if  bent  on  destruction. 

Waking  from  a  sound  sleep  and  coming  from 
a  warm,  bright  cabin  into  the  outer  air,  where 
the  cold  wind  devils  held  their  revels,  was  con 
siderable  of  a  shock,  and  both  thought  that  it  was 
a  great  deal  worse  than  it  really  was.  The  work 
348 


A   STORMY  NIGHT   ON  A   SINKING   PILti-DRLVELt 

of  furling  the  mainsail  was  very  difficult,  and  did 
not  tend  to  allay  their  fears. 

"  By  George,  Ken,  we  can't  last  long  in  this!  " 
said  the  mate,  after  looking  into  the  blackness 
and  listening  to  the  howling  wind. 

"  Yes,  I  see  our  finish !  "  said  the  other. 

"  Pshaw !  The  '  Gazelle  '  has  been  through 
worse  than  this,"  answered  the  skipper.  "  See 
the  pace  she's  setting?  She's  going  like  a  cup 
defender." 

But  in  spite  of  his  reassuring  words,  Kenneth 
was  troubled.  Their  course  led  them  through 
the  trough  of  the  seas,  and  every  minute  it 
seemed  as  if  the  little  vessel  would  be  engulfed 
by  the  huge  waves.  To  turn  back  was  impos 
sible,  to  steer  to  one  side  would  bring  them  on  a 
lee  shore,  a  turn  to  starboard  would  carry  them 
out  of  their  course,  and  far  upon  the  open  lake. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  face  the  situa 
tion,  to  be  vigilant  and  trust  to  good  fortune. 

Home,  that  seemed  so  near  to  them  a  short 
time  ago,  now  appeared  utterly  unattainable. 
The  "  Gazelle  "  rolled  along,  now  sinking  deep  in 
the  watery  valley,  now  rising  high  on  the  top  of 
a  foam-crested  hill.  The  motion  was  sickening, 
and  continued  so  long  that  it  seemed  as  if  they 
had  forever  been  rising  and  falling  in  the  heav 
ing  billows. 

349 


A    YEAR   IN   A    T AWL 

Chilled  to  the  bone,  wet  through  from  the 
wind-blown  spray,  weary  from  the  battle  with 
the  elements,  it  was  like  a  strong  hand  stretched 
out  to  a  drowning  man  when  Arthur  shouted  out, 
"Light,  ho!  " 

"  Where  away?  "  cried  Kenneth. 

"  A  little  off  the  port  bow.     No,  it's  gone!  " 

All  three  boys  strained  their  eyes  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  will-o'-the  wisp. 

"There  it  is!" 

"Where?" 

"No,  it's  gone!" 

The  wind  beat  the  spray  into  their  faces  and 
snatched  at  their  clothing. 

"  There  it  is,  sure !  "  Kenneth  spoke  exult- 
ingly.  "  It's  Tawas  Light — at  least,  it  ought  to 
be  there." 

On  a  point  of  land  like  a  crooked  finger,  the 
boys  saw  plainly,  when  the  yacht  rose  to  the  top 
of  a  wave,  the  steady,  clear  gleam  of  the  yellow 
flame. 

Like  a  tired  bird,  the  "  Gazelle  "  crept  inside 
the  shelter  and  anchored;  her  crew  lowered  the 
sails  and  dropped  into  their  bunks.  Utterly  ex 
hausted,  they  fell  asleep  instantly,  forgetting  all 
troubles. 

When  morning  came,  there  was  not  a  sign  of 
the  storm;  the  sky  blue  and  clear,  a  few  fleecy 
350 


THE  '  GAZELLE  '  RACED  WITH  THE  FLYING  SPRAY  INTO  PORT. 

(Page  365.) 


A  STORMY  NIQHT  ON  A  SINKING  PILE-DRIVER 

clouds  floating  serenely  about  in  it,  the  Lake  be 
low  gently  undulating  and  reflecting  in  a  deeper 
tone  the  azure  of  the  heavens. 

With  the  sunshine  came  new  confidence,  and 
the  boys  laughed  at  their  fears  of  the  night  be 
fore. 

"  Let's  get  under  way  and  hurry  home,  for 
we're  only  a  little  way  off  now."  The  mate  was 
in  a  very  jubilant  frame  of  mind. 

For  several  days  the  yacht  sailed  along  the 
coast  of  the  Lake  Huron  side  of  the  great  Penin 
sula  of  Michigan — close  enough  to  see  its 
beautiful  shores,  its  rugged  rocks,  and  dark,  al 
most  black,  evergreens. 

At  Presque  Isle  they  put  in  for  provisions. 
They  found  a  beautiful  harbor,  but  not  a  sign  of 
a  settlement,  and  no  place  to  buy  food.  The 
need  of  provender  drove  them  forth  in  spite  of 
a  storm,  which  an  unusually  low  barometer  in 
dicated  was  soon  due.  It  was  planned  to  make 
harbor  at  Cheboygan,  some  sixty-five  miles  away, 
but  while  passing  Rogers  City  the  yawl  ran  into 
a  calm  and  floated  idly.  Great  clouds  were 
banked  up  to  the  northeast,  which  spread  rap 
idly  till  the  whole  heavens  were  overcast.  The 
water  had  the  oily,  smoky,  treacherous  look  that 
precedes  a  storm.  Kenneth  ordered  in  the  jib 
and  jigger,  and  tied  three  reefs  in  the  main- 
351 


A  YEAR  IN  A  YAWL 

sail.  No  sooner  had  the  last  knot  been  tied, 
when,  with  a  howl  that  was  deafening,  the  squall 
struck  them.  It  was  a  terrible  blast.  The  "  Ga 
zelle,"  being  without  headway,  careened  before 
it;  farther  and  farther  she  went;  she  sank  till 
her  rail  was  on  a  level  with  the  water,  and  it 
came  bubbling  through  the  scuppers;  still  the 
pressure  continued.  She  dipped  to  leeward  till 
her  deck  was  covered  and  the  waves  lapped  the 
deck  house. 

"  Look  out,  boys!  Be  ready  to  jump.  She's 
going  over,  sure !  "  For  the  first  time,  Kenneth 
lost  confidence  in  his  boat;  no  craft,  he  thought, 
could  stand  such  a  test.  All  hands  climbed  to 
windward,  ready  to  jump  away  from  entangling 
rigging. 

Farther  and  farther  she  listed  under  the  fear 
ful  blast ;  the  water  was  on  a  line  with  the  cabin 
roof  now,  and  began  to  ooze  through  the  oval 
port  lights  into  the  cabin. 

With  muscles  tense,  ready  to  spring  away, 
Kenneth  still  stood  at  his  post,  the  tiller  in  one 
hand  the  other  clasping  the  cockpit  rail,  to  keep 
from  sliding  off  into  the  waves. 

With    a    thrill    of    hope,    he    felt    the    tug 

of   the    tiller — the    indefinable    touch    when    a 

boat    is    in    motion.       The     "  Gazelle "     was 

making    way    at    last!      But    still    her    decks 

352 


A  STORMY  NIGHT  ON  A  SINKING   PILE-DRIVER 

sloped  at  the  fearful  angle  and  the  squall  blew 
undimiiiished. 

The  mate  stood  close  to  "  His  Mbs,"  lashed  on 
deck,  bared  knife  in  hand — ready  to  cut  the 
ropes  that  bound  her. 

Her  deck  half  submerged,  her  cockpit  partly 
filled,  the  water  creeping  through  the  ports  into 
the  cabin,  the  "  Gazelle  "  surged  slowly  along. 
The  crew  clung  on  the  sloping  decks,  waiting  for 
the  last  sickening  lurch  that  precedes  a  capsize. 


353 


CHAPTEE   XX 

HOMEWAKD   BOUND 

The  boys  did  not  need  the  captain's  cry:  "Look 
out  for  yourselves,  boys;  she's  going  over!  "  to 
tell  them  that  they  were  in  fearful  peril.  It  had 
come  to  the  time  when  it  was  every  man  for  him 
self,  and  each  looked  for.  a  chance  to  escape. 

But  Ransom  clung  to  the  helm,  and  noted, 
with  an  awakening  of  hope,  that  his  boat  was 
increasing  her  speed.  Little  by  little  she  gained, 
and  inch  by  inch  she  straightened  up,  in  spite  of 
the  knock-down  blows  she  got  from  the  blast. 
Faster  and  faster  she  slipped  along,  the  energy 
of  the  wind  driving  her  ahead,  rather  than  over. 
The  water  was  on  a  line  with  the  rail  once  more, 
and  the  self -bailing  valves  in  the  cockpit  began 
to  empty  it. 

Arthur  put  his  knife  in  his  pocket  and 
crouched  down  by  the  windward  rail,  while 
Frank  assumed  a  natural  attitude,  and  began  to 
take  a  more  cheerful  view  of  things. 

"Thank    God!"    exclaimed    Kenneth,    fer 
vently.     "  We're  safe  once  more." 
354 


HOMEWARD   BOUND 

"  That  was  the  closest  call  we  ever  had,"  said 
the  mate. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  white  squall  let 
up,  and,  when  the  wind  died  down,  the  boys  found 
themselves  off  Hammond's  Bay  life-saving  sta 
tion,  and,  thankful  for  the  respite,  they  headed 
in  for  the  refuge  provided  by  the  Government. 

A  channel  cut  through  the  solid  rock  led  to  a 
little  lagoon,  and  through  this  the  "Gazelle'7  was 
dragged  by  the  good  fellows  of  the  station. 

It  was  well  that  the  yacht  sought  this  refuge, 
for  a  storm  that  would  have  sent  the  staunch 
little  craft  to  the  bottom  lasted  three  days  and 
held  sway  over  the  Lake. 

The  enforced  stay  was  not  irksome  in  the  least, 
for  there  were  a  great  many  tales  to  tell  and  to 
hear,  and  the  life  savers  were  good  fellows. 

But  with  each  day's  delay  the  longing  for 
home  grew  stronger,  though  it  seemed  as  if  .the 
elements  deliberately  conspired  to  hold  them 
back. 

After  leaving  Hammond's  Bay,  they  went  on 
up  the  Lake  Huron  coast.  Storm  after  storm 
broke  over  them,  adverse  winds  beset  them,  and 
squalls  dogged  their  wake;  but  at  last  they 
reached  the  very  tip  of  the  Peninsula,  and 
passed  through  the  Straits  of  Mackinac. 

The  feeling  of  exultation  the  sea-worn  cruisers 
355 


J.    YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

felt  when  the  keel  of  their  boat  once  more 
ploughed  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan  is  beyond 
all  description.  Words  could  not  express  the  joy 
and  satisfaction  they  felt. 

Before  a  high  gale  and  a  nasty  sea,  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  ran  into  Little  Traverse  Bay — the  first 
harbor  on  the  western  shore  of  Michigan.  Sail 
ing  along  the  coast,  it  seemed  as  if  they  were  al 
most  home;  that  the  bluffs  of  old  St.  Joe  were 
but  a  little  way  off,  and  that  they  had  but  to  fire 
their  cannon  to  get  an  answering  salute  from 
their  friends,  the  life-saving  station  men. 

Putting  in  at  Old  Mission,  the  boys  visited 
Kenneth's  friends  several  days,  while  the  storm 
king  reigned  outside  in  his  royal  rage  and  bluster. 

At  every  stopping  place,  all  along  the  line, 
they  received  letters,  urging  them  to  hurry,  for 
the  winter  season  was  so  close  at  hand,  when  no 
man  may  sail  on  the  Lakes.  Their  people  were 
anxious  to  have  them  home.  The  long,  danger 
ous  trip,  the  frequent  lapses  in  the  correspond 
ence  (enforced,  of  course,  but  none  the  less  hard 
for  the  watchers  at  home  to  bear),  the  stories  of 
storm  and  disaster  at  sea,  all  combined  to  wear 
down  the  patience  and  courage  of  the  relatives 
at  home.  The  long  stress  of  violent  weather  at 
the  end  of  a  fearfully  prolonged  journey,  had 
worn  on  the  nerves  of  the  captain  and  crew  also, 
356 


HOMEWARD   BOUND 

and  they  all  had  a  bad  attack  of  homesickness. 
The  longing  for  home  when  it  is  near  at  hand, 
but  just  beyond  the  reach,  is  the  hardest  of  all 
to  bear. 

A  short  spell  of  good  weather  succeeded  the 
days  of  storm,  and  the  u  Gazelle  "  sailed  out  of 
Old  Mission  for  home.  The  boys7  friends  lined 
the  shore  and  waved  them  "  God  speed/'  and  the 
three  youngsters  afloat  answered  with  a  cheer, 
their  faces  bright,  their  hearts  aglow  with  antici 
pation.  They  were  going  Home. 

The  people  'ashore  watched  the  little  vessel, 
her  white  sides  and  sails  gleaming  in  the  morning 
sun  as  she  slipped  off  like  a  live  thing,  dancing 
over  the  short  wavelets  daintily.  They  watched 
till  she  disappeared  behind  the  point. 

Word  was  sent  to  St.  Joseph  that  the  "  Ga 
zelle  "  was  on  her  way  again,  and  the  people  of 
the  next  port  of  call  were  on  the  look-out  for  her. 

All  the  newspapers  of  the  Western  coast 
towns  had  printed  stories  about  the  three  Michi 
gan  boys  who  had  circumnavigated  the  Eastern 
United  States  in  their  Michigan  boat,  and  most 
of  the  inhabitants  of  these  towns  were  familiar 
with  the  story,  and  took  pride  in  the  achieve 
ment. 

The  "  Gazelle  "  had  hardly  been  out  of  Old 
Mission  six  hours  when  a  storm  rose  that  speed- 
357 


A  TEAR  IN  A  YAWL 

ily  developed  into  a  hurricane.  Vessels  of  every 
kind  sought  harbor  —  steamships,  schooners, 
whalebacks,  every  sort  of  craft — hurried  for 
shelter;  but  no  word  was  brought  of  the  little 
yawl.  She  was  not  reported;  no  one  had  seen 
her  since  she  had  sailed  so  jauntily  out  of  Old 
Mission  harbor.  The  papers  were  full  of  the 
havoc  wrought,  of  the  shipping  damaged,  and 
lists  and  estimates  of  the  value  of  the  property 
destroyed  by  the  tempest  were  published;  but  no 
mention  was  made  of  the  "  Gazelle  " — neither  in 
the  list  of  vessels  lost  or  vessels  saved  did  her 
name  appear. 

Frantic  with  anxiety,  the  parents  of  the  crew 
sent  telegrams  along  the  Michigan  and  Wiscon 
sin  coasts  on  both  sides  of  the  Lake,  asking  for 
news.  Then  the  papers  began  to  take  it  up,  and 
in  large  type  they  printed: 

"WHERE  IS  THE  < GAZELLE'?" 

"STILL   NO    NEWS    OF    THE    MISSING 
YAWL." 

One  stormy  morning,  after  the  newspapers 
had  been  printing  headlines  like : 

"< GAZELLE'  UNDOUBTEDLY  LOST," 

1,1 10  look-out  at  Manistee  life-saving  station  saw 
358 


HOMEWARD   BOUND 

a  small  vessel,  closely  reefed,  scudding  across  the 
angry  seas  like  a  gull. 

The  look-out  called  to  his  mate:  "What  do 
you  make  her  out  to  be?  "  The  other  shielded 
his  eyes  from  the  sharp  blasts  of  the  spray. 

"  Yawl  rigged,  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet, 
carrying  jib  and  jigger.  Looks  like  she  had  only 
three  men  aboard — never  saw  her  before." 

"  Yawl  rigged,  you  say?  "  The  first  life-saver 
stopped  to  look.  "  Thirty  feet — sure,  that's  her. 
Do  you  know  what  that  is?  "  He  turned  excit 
edly  to  the  other.  "  "Why,  that's  the  '  Gazelle.' 
Been  round  the  United  States  pretty  near. 
Papers  are  full  of  it." 

Soon  the  news  was  flashed  from  town  to  town 
that  the  "  Gazelle  "  was  safe.  The  houses  of 
gloom  in  St.  Joseph  brightened,  and  eyes 
dimmed  with  tears  sparkled  with  joy.  Soon  the 
"Gazelle"  herself  flew  into  port  and  dropped 
anchor  safe  and  sound. 

The  people  of  Manistee  turned  out  to  do  the 
young  sailors  honor. 

Again,  as  if  by  miracle,  the  staunch  boat  had 
triumphed  over  the  elements.  With  two  anchors 
down,  and  several  improvised  ones  out,  she  had 
ridden  the  terrific  gale  safely. 

Next  day  the  little  ship  started  out  again, 
feverishly  impatient  to  get  home.  Kenneth 

359 


A  YEAR  IN  A  YAWL 

waited  only  long  enough  for  the  wind  to  die  down 
a  little  and  to  get  some  very  badly  needed  sleep. 

With  gales  before  them,  behind  them,  battling 
with  them  from  every  side,  the  dogged  crew  kept 
on,  ever  heading  southward. 

Late  one  day,  each  of  the  three  families  re 
ceived  a  telegram  that  thrilled  them.  "  At  South 
Haven.  All  well !  "  it  read.  Only  twenty  miles 
away  now! 

It  was  over  a  year  since  the  "  Gazelle,"  her 
colors  flying,  her  unstained  sails  showing  white, 
had  sailed  out  of  St.  Joseph  harbor,  and  yet,  in 
spite  of  their  eagerness  to  get  home,  in  spite  of 
the  yearning  of  their  parents  to  have  them  home, 
they  must  needs  spend  a  day  in  fixing  up.  Ken 
neth  was  determined  to  have  his  vessel  look  well 
when  he  entered  the  home  port. 

But,  alas !  with  only  twenty  miles  of  the  seven 
thousand  to  go,  it  seemed  as  if  they  were  doomed 
to  wait  yet  another  day.  A  gale  was  blow 
ing,  and  the  rollers  dashed  themselves  to 
spume  against  the  bulkheads  protecting  the 
harbor. 

"  You  can't  do  it,"  the  life-savers  told  the  cap 
tain.  "  You'll  never  get  between  those  break 
waters  alive  in  this  wind." 

"  Yes,  we  will."  Kenneth's  mind  was  made 
up.  A  spirit  of  reckless  daring  took  possession 
360 


HOMEWARD   BOUND 

of  him,  and  he  could  and  would  get  to  St.  Joseph 
that  day. 

"We'll  do  it,  won't  we,  boys? "  Kenneth 
turned  to  the  crew  that  had  never  failed  him. 

"  Sure !  "  was  the  laconic,  but  all-sufficient 
answer. 

"  Shake !  "  said  the  captain,  and  they  gripped 
firm  hands  all  around. 

"  Put  in  a  single  reef  in  the  main/'  the  captain 
ordered,  "  and  hoist  away." 

The  boys  looked  at  him  a  bit  doubtfully,  but 
obeyed  without  a  word.  The  jigger  set,  the 
anchor  was  hauled  aboard  and  the  jib  halliards 
made  taut. 

Slowly  she  began  to  make  headway,  her  sails 
filled,  and,  heeling  gracefully  to  the  wind,  she 
headed  for  the  narrow  way  between  the  break 
waters. 

People  ashore  shouted  and  cheered,  and  the 
boys  acknowledged  the  salute  by  waving  their 
caps  on  high. 

"Hurrah,  for  the  last  twenty  miles!  "  Ken 
neth  shouted  suddenly,  then  settled  himself  for 
the  struggle  to  come. 

It  was  a  dead  beat  out  to  the  open  lake  through 

the    three-hundred-foot-wide    channel    between 

the  long  piers.     The  wind  blew  so  hard  that  the 

spray  obscured  the  piers  from  sight  at  times,  and 

361 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

it  seemed  impossible  that  any  vessel  propelled  by 
sails  could  make  way  against  it. 

Kenneth  planned  to  clear  the  south  pier  with 
the  first  long  tack.  As  the  yacht  sped  down  to 
wards  the  opening  to  the  lake — choked  as  it  was 
with  the  smothering  seas — he  realized  that  he 
had  undertaken  a  very  hazardous  thing — realized 
that  failure  to  clear  the  breakwater  on  that  tack 
would  mean  instant  destruction  against  the  bulk 
head. 

As  they  came  nearer  and  nearer  the  rock- 
ballasted  spiles,  Kenneth  noticed  that  his  boat 
was  not  pointing  as  high  up  into  the  wind  as 
usual,  and  that  no  matter  how  hard  he  jammed 
the  helm  over,  she  would  not  head  right.  In 
stead  of  making  the  long  angle  that  would  bring 
her  clear  of  the  end,  the  "  Gazelle  "  was  heading, 
in  spite  of  all  her  skipper  could  do,  twenty  feet 
in.  The  yacht  acted  queerly,  but  was  making 
tremendous  speed.  Nearer  and  nearer  she  came 
to  the  spiles  partly  obscured  by  the  spray ;  nearer 
and  nearer,  till  the  very  slap  and  hiss  of  the 
waves  against  them  was  heard. 

The  "  Gazelle "  was  pointed  straight  at  a 
group  of  logs  some  twenty  feet  from  the  end. 
Kenneth  was  puzzled  and  worried,  almost  fran 
tic,  indeed — never  had  his  boat  acted  in  this  way 
before. 


HOMEWARD   BOUhD 

Despairingly  he  looked  across  at  the  rapidly 
narrowing  strip  of  foam-flecked  water,  when  his 
quick  eye  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  jib  sheet 
caught  on  the  bitts. 

"The  jib  sheet  is  fouled.  Quick,  clear  it! 
Lively  now,  boys!  " 

In  an  instant  it  was  done.  The  sail  flew  out 
to  its  rightful  position,  and  the  "  Gazelle,"  like  a 
racehorse  that  has  been  pulled  in  too  much, 
bounded  forward,  straight  for  the  end  of  the 
pier.  In  a  smother  of  foam,  amid  a  swirl  of 
angry  waters,  the  good  yacht  dashed  into  the 
open  lake,  missing  the  end  of  the  pier  by  a  bare 
yard. 

Kenneth  could  not  hear  the  cheer  that  rose 
from  the  hundred  throats  ashore,  but  he  could 
feel  it,  and  he  was  grateful. 

A  little  over  two  hours  later,  the  straining  eyes 
of  three  boys  aboard  a  little  yacht  caught  sight, 
through  the  mist  and  spray,  of  a  white  tower  on 
a  high  bluff,  and  the  words  "  There  it  is!  "  passed 
from  mouth  to  mouth.  A  little  later,  and  a 
fringe  of  people  could  be  made  out  on  the  top 
of  the  bluff,  and  some  yellow-clad  figures  on  the 
end  of  the  long  breakwater,  where  the  life-savers 
took  their  stand. 

There  was  moisture  in  the  boys'  eyes  that 
could  not  come  from  the  spray,  for  it  was  salt, 


A   YEAR  IN  A   YAWL 

and  a  lump  in  their  throats  that  would  not 
down. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  movement  among  the 
figures  on  the  beach,  a  ripple  in  the  long  line 
bordering  the  bluff.  A  flash  of  white  showed 
here  and  there.  In  three  places  along  the  line 
bits  of  color  waved — red,  and  blue  and  yellow — 
and  the  eyes  that  watched  so  eagerly  for  those 
colors,  dimmed  so  that  only  a  blur  was  left. 

The  yacht  was  sailing  gallantly — speeding 
over  the  whitecaps  in  a  way  that  rejoiced  her 
builder's  heart.  The  Stars  and  Stripes,  made  by 
loving  hands,  once  bright  and  lustrous,  now  dim 
but  glorious,  spread  out  flat  by  the  gale. 

Nearer  she  came  to  the  harbor  entrance — 
nearer  to  her  home  port.  The  faint  sound  of 
people  cheering  came  over  the  seething  sea  to  the 
home-coming  trio.  The  steadfast  colors  waved, 
and  the  steadfast  hearts  answered  each  other 
across  the  water. 

Kenneth  headed  as  if  to  cross  the  harbor's 
mouth.  Past  the  long  pier  the  "  Gazelle " 
flashed,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  boys  could  hear 
the  people  groan.  A  little  beyond,  Kenneth  put 
her  helm  down,  and  she  spun  round  on  her  heel, 
heading  straight  for  the  inner  basin.  With 
sheets  eased,  the  water  boiling  at  her  bow,  the 
waves  flowing  swiftly  alongside,  every  stitch 
364 


HOMEWARD   BOUND 

drawing,  every  fibre  in  the  rigging  straining,  the 
h  Gazelle  "  raced  with  the  flying  spray  into  port. 
Her  crew,  exhilarated,  thankful,  jubilant,  could 
hear  nothing  but  the  cheers  of  their  friends, 
while  the  brave  bits  of  color  waved  them  a  wel 
come  that  had  been  waiting  a  long  year — the  best 
welcome  of  all. 


THE  END 


305 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

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